Saving Grace
by Dali2theLlamasquared
Summary: When Harry's summer does not turn out as planned, and his life seems to be hanging by a thread, before he gets back to Hogwarts...who will help him? W: mentions of child abuse
1. In Need of Redemption

**Saving Grace**

Chapter One

          Harry Potter stumbled out of his Uncle Vernon's car, arriving unceremoniously early.  His uncle quickly got out of the car, glancing suspiciously around him.  He opened the trunk at the touch of a button, and watched his nephew scramble to it.  The boy reached in, trying to grab something, but as he touched it, his face contorted in pain.

          His uncle reached in and pulled a large trunk out for him, and what appeared to be an empty birdcage.  At the same time his uncle grabbed his wrist, dragging him along towards the nearest trolley cart.  Vernon dumped the trunk and cage on top of it, but did not let go of his nephew's wrist.

          "If you whisper even one word about what happened this summer, Potter, you'll be sorry."  The man let go of his wrist and fingered a dark ring around the boy's eye.  "Trust me Potter, it'll be much worse than this one was.  Understood?"

          "Y…yes, Sir."

          "Now, get."  Harry quickly grabbed the cart, even thought he was in obvious discomfort, and pushed it between platforms 9 and 10.

          Draco Malfoy looked back at his parent's retreating backs.  He knew he'd never see them again.  Not since he had refused the Dark Lord's offer.  He had been disowned.  Well, he had to get on with his life.  He'd talk to Snape at Hogwarts.  Yes, Snape would help him.  Draco sighed and turned towards the steaming train.  Quietly he picked up his trunk.  It was time to go.

          "He looks kind of cute that way," said fifteen-year-old Hermione Granger to her best friend, Ronald Weasley.  They were looking at their sleeping friend, Harry Potter.  "Let's just leave him alone.  We'll find a different compartment.  You know, one _alone_.  We can tell him about us later."

          "Yeah," said Ron.  "He must be dead tired if he didn't put his trunk away, so let's just leave him."

          Draco was becoming severely frustrated.  He couldn't sit with his old 'friends', because after he had refused the Dark Lord, they were all told to hate him.  The other Houses hated him anyway, and he was becoming afraid to walk into compartments after he found Weasel and Mudblood snogging in a corner.  He found it strange that Potter wasn't there, but he had probably left them for that very reason.

          Draco held his breath as he opened another compartment.  There was no snogging, no throwing of curses or hexes, only a sleeping figure.  Draco ventured a bit further in to find the person hadn't even put their things away.  He sighed to himself.  It was better than nothing.  Draco levitated his trunk up into the storage area, and did the same of the other boy's.

          Draco sat down across from the still figure.  He almost immediately recognized him as Potter.  "Great," muttered Draco, "just peachy."  He noticed that the other boy had not changed into his robes, and that his too large clothes were stained and soaked with something reddish brown.  As the boy turned towards him, Draco was horrified to find that he had a very large black eye.  It looked fresh.

          The other boy began to moan in his sleep.  Draco quickly crossed the compartment and gently shook the boy's shoulder.  "Potter," he hissed.  "_Potter._"  The named boy jumped up and out of Draco's grasp, cowering in the corner of the seat.

          "I'm sorry…sorry…didn't mean to…sorry…I'm sorry…"

          Draco was violently surprised at the response to the boy's last name, so tried a different approach.  "Harry?" asked Draco quietly, for the first time in his life using Harry's first name.  Harry snapped back into the real world and slumped back into his seat.  

          "Sorry 'bout that.  Reminded me of someone…Draco?"  Malfoy was once again surprised by Harry's use of _his_ first name, but nodded all the same.

          "Someone who called you by your last name, and someone who hit you," said Draco, connecting the pieces.  Harry's eyes darted, looking anywhere but at Draco.  "Harry, that black eye and your broken glasses gave it away.  You didn't tell," said Draco comfortingly.  He didn't know why he was comforting his enemy.  He just knew he had to.  "You're not going to get in trouble," said Draco immediately understanding.  "Just tell me who did this to you."

          Harry hesitantly let his eyes stop at Draco's.  "M…my…U…" Harry choked, tears forming in his eyes.  "…Uncle…He…he…sa…said…IfItoldI'dbesorry," said Harry all in one breath.

          Draco was abhorred.  These were P…Harry's only blood relatives, and they had hit him…not that Draco's own relatives were that great either.  Enemy or not, Harry Potter was still a child, and he needed what every other child did, comforting love.  So, Draco Malfoy did the only thing that he could think of, and opened his arms for the broken boy in front of him.  Harry moved slowly forward, hesitant at first, but then fully accepted the hug.

          It was painfully obvious to Draco that Harry was not used to such comfort.  He found it strange that all the hate he had held for the teen in his arms could be washed away in an instant.  He allowed Harry to relax in the comforting circle for a few moments more before hi spoke.  "Harry, do you think you could let me see what your uncle did?"

          Harry's body tensed, but he nodded.  Draco was no beginning to find Harry's trust amazing, but when he tried to think of it from Harry's position, he realized the first person he'd go to was the first one who showed comfort.  He helped Harry position himself in Draco's lap, and helped him to take off the large shirt.  Draco was horrified.  Harry's back was covered in welts and long deep cuts.  One of Harry's ribs was caved in, and his right elbow most certainly wasn't supposed to look like that.

          The first thing Draco did was fix Harry's glasses.  He knew Harry would feel less vulnerable being able to see.  The next thing he did was conjure up steaming water, a rag, and bandages.  He dipped the rag into the warm water.  "Harry, I'm going to touch you.  Okay?"  Harry nodded and Draco began to gently clean Harry's back.  He noticed that the heat seemed to help Harry relax, and put it away for future reference.  After gently bandaging Harry's back and front he moved on to Harry's wrists.  They were chafed, bleeding, and bruised from what appeared to be ropes.  Draco washed and bandaged them also.

          He summoned a pair of Harry's robes from his trunk.  As he was helping Harry put on his robe, Draco's hand brushed past his forehead.  "Merlin, Harry, you're burning up.  Look at me."  Sure enough Harry's face was flushed and his eyes were glossy.  Draco looked down at his watch.  They still had seven hours until they got to Hogwarts.  "Harry, do you want to sleep?"  Harry nodded and Draco helped him out of his lap and onto the seat.  He covered Harry with his own cloak, and watched to make sure Harry did fall asleep.

          Before he fell asleep, Harry muttered one last thing.  "Draco," he gasped out, "I…I'm sorry, for…being…such…a…a jerk…"  Before Draco could respond Harry was asleep.

          "So am I Harry," Draco whispered, "So am I."

          Draco jerked awake as soon as the train stopped.  By the sounds coming from the other side of the compartment, Harry was awake as well.  Draco crossed the space in two strides and bent down towards Harry.  Harry was paler than before, and his cheekbones stood out against the red flush.  His eyes were too bright, and his hands were trembling.  "Harry, do you think you can walk?"

          "I…I'm n…not…sure…"

          "Then why don't we wait until everyone's gone and I'll try to carry you out then.  We'll go straight to Madam Pomfrey, alright?"

          "N...no."

          "Why not Harry?  You don't want Pomfrey to find out, do you?"  Harry nodded.  "You want to find someone who will keep the secret, don't you?  You're afraid that she'll tell, aren't you?"  Harry nodded.  "The there's only one person I know that we could go to.  Harry, do you trust me," asked Draco seriously.  Harry nodded again.  "I'm going to bring you to Professor Snape.  He'll keep the secret; I know he will.  He's kept all of mine.  If I trust him, will you trust him?"

          "Yes," said Harry.  "If…you do…"  By then the footsteps in the hall had receded.  

          "Harry, I'm going to pick you up now.  We're going to take the last carriage out of here.  We're going to go straight down to his rooms, all right?  He have me the password earlier because I was going to meet him after the feast.  Okay, Harry?"  Harry nodded.  "Then lets go."  Draco lifted the boy as gently as he could, trying not to cause pain.  "Good Godric!  When was the last time they fed you?!"

          "T…three w…weeks…"  Draco's eyes widened, but wisely he held his tongue, as he did not want to scare the boy.  Harry's eyes were closed and he was barely breathing from the pain it caused.

          "D…Draco," gasped Harry, "I…it doesn't…hurt a…as…much…any…m…more…"

          "That's good, Harry," said Draco quietly as they stepped off the train.  "Just relax now, trust me.  Harry, whatever you do, please don't fall asleep."  He felt Harry nod in response.  Secretly Draco was worried.  If it didn't hurt, than that meant he was losing Harry, and he didn't want to lose him so soon after gaining him as a friend.  If Harry fell asleep now, he may never wake up.  There, at the end of the station was the last carriage.  Draco entered it, quite happy to find it empty.  He leaned up against the seat, supporting Harry, and closed his eyes.  This was the easy part.  He still had to get to Snape.

Hi guys!  For those of you who don't know me, I'm Anneliese, and I'm currently working on a few fics, one is The Fifth Year Mage, which was known as The Fifth Year the Beginning.  I wrote this out of impulse a couple weeks ago, and my friend got a hold of it and stood over me with death threats until I finished and posted.  It's probably still not as long as she'd like, but at least I'm alive!

_All reviews are appreciated, and flames will be used to bake a chocolate cake, and to boil water for hot chocolate!_


	2. Do You Trust Me?

Saving Grace

Chapter Two

          Draco Malfoy stood quietly in the shadows, waiting for the Entrance Hall to clear.  People passed by without a second glance, too involved in their own conversations.  Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger passed holding hands and looking around through the crowd for something, or more likely, someone.  Draco stepped a little further back into the shadows, looking down as he did so.  Harry was still shaking.  No matter how tight Draco had wrapped his cloak around the boy, had still shivered.  The shivering had progressed however, and now included shudders and spasms.  Harry so far had been good to his word, not falling asleep; yet.

          The last few people hustled by, hurrying because they were late.  When their footsteps had retreated into the Great Hall Draco took a step out of the shadow of the knight he was standing in.  Keeping close to the wall Draco progressively made his way down towards the dungeons.  Snape would not be there yet, in the Great Hall obviously, but would most likely notice his absence, and come down to meet him…unless they noticed Harry's absence first, and he was sent to search.  Draco just hoped they didn't do that.  

          Draco stopped suddenly, hearing a scurrying behind him, and he was almost positive he saw a tail disappear into the shadows.  The blonde Slytherin shook it off as nerves and continued down towards the dungeons.  Once again he heard the scratching sound, but when he turned around, he saw nothing.  Draco quickened his step and hurried through the corridors.  

          Within two minutes he was there, which was good for him because no matter how light Harry was, he wasn't positive that he could support him for much longer.  Draco looked at the picture that he had often thought was strange for the sullen Potions Master to have as the entrance to his rooms.  It was a beautiful woman with dark brown hair and sparkling blue eyes, who he had often seen the Potions Master in deep conversation with.  She had once introduced herself as Sandra, but had told Draco to call her Sandy.  She was standing by a window right now, looking out into painted gardens.  "Hey, Sandy," called Draco.  "I can't talk right now, I've got to get in."

          "You know the rule, Draco," said the painting teasingly.

          "Fine, fine, Cervantes."  The portrait moved to the side to reveal a large hole.  Draco stepped in quickly, glad that Snape had left the lights on.  The place would have been a nightmare to navigate in the dark.  There was a couch pulled up next to a roaring fire, and two other chairs that Draco had often sat in.  No matter what the school's population thought, Snape did not enjoy being cold.  There were three separate doors, one was a lavatory, one was Snape's bedroom, and the other was a spare bedroom.  Draco had never been in Snape's room, but had often spent nights in the spare room after a particularly nasty night at home.  Three of the walls were lined with bookshelves filled with books of all sizes, and only gave room to one window big enough for an owl to get through.  The room was not black, or green, contrary to popular belief, it was a deep blue.  

          Draco, of course, ignored all of this, having seen it before, and made way to the couch.  He laid Harry on it, removing the boy's glasses so that if he did move, he wouldn't smash them.  Draco draped the cloak over Harry, hoping the shudders might decrease a bit.  Harry's eyes remained closed, but when Draco asked him if he was still awake, he nodded, though barely.  Looking closer to check to see if there was anything else Draco could do, he noticed that Harry's lips had turned blue.  He knew then that he couldn't wait any longer.  Running to the bell pull at the other side of the room, Draco grasped it and pulled.  Seconds later, a flopping houself appeared.  "Mr. Sna…Mr. Malfoy?"  

          "Yes, Mollie," said Draco.  "Could you go fetch Professor Snape for me.  Tell him that it's urgent."

          "Yes, Mr. Malfoy, sir!" said the houself, flopping down when it bowed and tumbling head over heels.  It blushed crimson and disappeared with a 'pop'.  Three minutes later a panting houself appeared with Snape on her heals.  "Here you goes Mr. Malfoy!"  She disappeared once again leaving the three in the room alone.

          "What is it, Draco?  Mollie said it was urgent.  I thought we were going to meet after the feast.  I have other things I have to attend to if it can wait.  You may not know, but Po…"

          "Harry isn't missing, Professor," said Draco.  "He's right here," said Draco pointing to the couch.  "It was his uncle.  Seems he's been doing it for some time if you ask me.  I found Harry sleeping on the train; it wasn't hard to figure out.  Seems that Granger and Weasley had left for a snogging appointment in another compartment and hadn't noticed."  Meanwhile, Snape had just been staring at the prostrate figure on his couch.  "Well, Harry trust me now.  He doesn't want anyone to find out, and I have half a mind to say its because his uncle threatened him, so I brought him to you."

          "Than I'd best get to work," said Snape quietly.  "Harry, can you hear me?"

          "Hermione," said Dumbledore again, quite seriously, "When exactly was the last time you saw Harry?"

          "On the train," she sobbed.  "He was sleeping, so we decided to leave him alone!"

          "Did anything strange happen while you were on board?"

          "Not that I remember!  What could have happened to him!?!"  

          "Voldemort."

          "P…professor," asked Harry, blearily opening his eyes.  

          "That's right, Harry," said Snape.  "Do you think that you can let me help you?"  Harry nodded.  "Do you trust me?" asked Snape.  Harry nodded again.  "Then, can I see what your uncle did to you?"  Harry hesitated for a second, and then nodded again.  Snape gently reached out and touched the boy.  Harry's body tightened for a second, but, sensing that the touch wasn't going to hurt him, he relaxed almost immediately.  Snape searched Harry, once and awhile telling Draco to get something from the lab connected to his bedroom.  Eventually Snape had at least a dozen potions lined up on top of the end table.  "Now Harry, you're going to have to take these twice a day for quite awhile, and don't think that you're leaving any time soon."  Harry nodded to his professor.  "Now, for full potency you have to sleep, so I suggest you do so."  In seconds Harry had followed Snape's direction, and fallen asleep.

          "Well, Draco," said the Potions Master, "the danger is gone.  But, it is going to be a very long recovery.  Physically and emotionally it will be painful.  Now, tell me everything you've heard about Mr. Vernon Dursley."

          "Why, professor?"

          "No person lays a hand on one of my students, and does  not get his cup pence for it."

Hi guys!!!  

First off, this is a slash free fic, sorry to those of you who like that, but I can't do that stuff.  It's kinda just against me.

Notes:

Potter Princess:  Harry hasn't died:  yet.

Kayu:  Thank you!  Of course I'll continue, just don't know when I'll have time later.

animegirl-mika:  Looks like Dursley is getting blasted.

Nicky:  Definitely family

Nevada:  Too late, she threatened already.

Talons:  I'm ignoring you

Lady FoxFire:  YES MA'M!

Pip:  Here you go!

Gia:  Thanks!

sadineye:  Of course I'll continue, as soon as I get Honors Geometry homework out of the way.

Jay Kamiya:  Thank you very much.

Bill Weasley:  Thank you for not being at my throat to update.  I prefer not getting death threats.  I appreciate your patience.

Mindel:  Was this soon enough?

She:  There you have part of Snape's reaction.

HadesFlower:  I'm glad you're enjoying it.

avalon princess:  I'm dying to see where I'm taking it too!

hannya:  What!?  No flame!?

Hippie Flower=Voldie's Kid:  OKAY!!!! DON'T KILL ME!!!!

JJ:  Don' t worry, you weren't the only one who put the or else, and you were the only one joking.

zz: Thanks!

chibi:  I've been getting a lot of or else's lately.

Arizosa:  YOU'RE BACK!!!!!!  MY ABSOLUTE FAV REVIEWER!!!!!!!!!!!!  I AGREE COMPLETELY!!!!!  (So does Snape I think).

phoenixfeather:  I'm glad you enjoyed it!!!  I'm updating now, but I'm not sure when the next time will be!

Sara Minks:  Don't worry, its gonna be a rough ride.


	3. To Belong to the House of Snape

Saving Grace

Chapter Three

          Severus Snape billowed through the halls of Hogwarts seeking out the Headmaster.  The whole time he was formulating excuses/lies to tell Dumbledore.  Still, he couldn't help but want to tell the old man the truth.  He had never been really able to lie to the man, but it was always worth a try.  He was thinking so much that he forgot to watch where he was going and ran headlong into the Headmaster.  "Slow down, Severus!  Take your time!  Watch out for innocent walls and people!"

          "S…Sorry, Albus, I was, ummm…, just, uhhh, looking for you."  Snape was becoming quite flustered.  

          "Well, you found me!  What is it?  We do still need to work on finding Harry, you know that."

          "Well, you see…that's just it.  You know how family problems are…and…well…I…umm….That is…."  Snape trailed off, not knowing what to say next.

          "I see!  You want to break the news to your sister!" said Albus, quite delighted.  "Go right ahead!  It saves me parchment, an owl, and time!"

          "And…can I bring Mr. Malfoy also…We won't be gone long, but, he's having House trouble, and his extra studies…"

          "Yes, Yes, of course, Severus!  Now, take your time and enjoy yourselves!  Relax a bit with your family, you need the vacation!"

          "Thank you," said Severus breathing out in relief.  It hadn't been a _complete_ lie…Snape turned on his heel, billowing back down towards the dungeons, thoughts and doubts about what he was about to tell Harry and Draco swimming through his head.

Harry had been 'missing' for three days now, and during that time had bee recovering well.  Draco now spent all his spare time down in Snape's rooms, supposedly getting 'extra studies'.  Severus had requested that they not be disturbed.  In actuality Harry was physically fine.  He had healed quite well, leaving behind only a few bruises and a scar or two.  Severus was a bit suspicious that Harry had powers in healing himself that had sped up the process.  Draco, though, was keeping Harry caught up in his studies.  Harry just didn't want to face anyone yet.  Severus wasn't at all surprised, and was willing to provide refuge for the boy as long as he was wanted it.  He was just wondering how much longer he'd want the refuge when he told Harry the truth.  

The truth had been a hard thing for Severus to live with, but Harry had every right to know.  Inside his rooms he found the two boys in the middle of destroying his sitting room.  Feathers were everywhere and pillows were flying every which way.  Severus was immediately pinned in the head with one.  "Alright, you two!  Cut it out!!  I need to talk to you!!"  The feathers settled on the ground as the boys dropped the pillows and ran to the couch.

Severus sat down across from them.  "Harry, this has to do with you and what the three of us are going to do.  Harry, you have to hear me through, alright?"  Harry nodded.  "Harry, I'm your uncle.  I was in the same year as your father, and Lily was a year below us.  When we were little, our parents decided to divorce.  I went to my father, and my sisters went to our mother.  It turned out that Petunia was like our mother, completely non-magical.  I was on trial when Lily was killed, and could not claim custody of you.  I was jealous that Petunia got you, and since she was insanely jealous of Lily and I, I had figured that she had told you all sorts of lies about me…I naturally assumed you hated me…and, that's why I acted towards you the way I did.  Not to mention, you look like lily, and it brought back memories.  Will you forgive me?"

"Of…of course…and, will you forgive me…for…all that I've done…"

"AWW!!!! BIG GROUP HUG!!!!!"  
          "Shut up, Draco!!!" yelled Severus and Harry simultaneously.

"Well, you're definitely related!"

"WE SAID SHUT UP!!!!!!!"

"What did I say!?" asked Draco, apparently offended.  

Harry and Severus just ignored him.  "So, now the three of us have to get revenge…so, how about….

Five minutes later the three were standing outside Number 4.  Draco and Harry were standing behind Snape, smiling to each other.  They were all wearing Muggle clothes to 'blend in'.  Severus rang the doorbell, and Petunia bustled to answer the door.  "Hello…...S…S….ssss…..se…….s…….sssssss….."

          "Hello, dear sister, do you mind if I come in?"

_I've got to go do my wonderful math homework!_

_Just a couple notes:_

_1. __I will most definitely not update tomorrow_

_2. __I'm sorry the chapter is so short_

_3. __If you guys want to write an alternative, in case you don't like it, or just want to, you all have my full permission!_

_I've got to go!_


	4. Fairy Tales

Saving Grace

**Chapter Four**

            "W….w…well…I…ummm…." Petunia stuttered, all color draining from her face.

            "Petunia, what's wrong, I just came for a little visit," said Severus, all sickly sweet.  "I wanted to know how my wonderful older sister, and perfect role model, was!  Come now Petunia, you've never steered me wrong, and you know I'd only do the same to you!"  At this last statement Petunia completely blanched.  "And, you won't mind if I bring some company with me, would you?  Of course not!  Boys," said Snape smiling.  

            Harry and Draco winked at each other and stepped out from behind Snape.  "Hello, Mrs. Dursley," said Draco cordially, taking one of her bony hands and planting a kiss on it.  "Harry and Severus have told me so much about you, and I've been so anxious to meet you!"  Petunia now looked frightened.

            "Hello, Aunt Petunia," said Harry quietly, as if afraid to be there.  "Uncle Severus, told me to…to apologize…and thank you, for, letting me…l…live here.  I'm sorry for any…inconvenience I've caused…and…"

            "Say it, _boy_," hissed Snape with as much loathing he could put into his voice.  

            "I'd like you to know…that Uncle Severus, has, and is, taking care of any problems I've caused…and, I'm at your service, for what you've done for me, has…bound me to you…for life."  Petunia had gained back her confidence.  Thinking that her brother and this other blonde boy did not like Potter any more than she did, she opened the door to let the three of them in.

            "Come right on in Severus!! My husband should be home any time now, and your nephew is home right now, because Smeltings doesn't start for a few more days."

            "Thank you, Petunia," said Severus, smiling in triumph.  Petunia mistook it for gratitude.  "Come along Mr. Malfoy, and _you_."  Draco confidently entered, whereas Harry seemed to slip in, as if he was trying to blend in with the wall.  Petunia showed them to the small sitting room, where Severus and Draco both sat.  Harry quietly offered to help make tea.    
            "You better go make tea!  Make it the way Duddikins likes!!!  Don't slack, hurry up!!!"  Harry winked at Draco as he passed him, not ducking his aunt's slap, but moving with it.  As Petunia sat down to talk to the two wizards Harry began making tea.  While Severus and Draco occupied Petunia, Harry pulled out three small bottles.  He poured each one into three separate cups, placing a small spell on the other two so that no matter what happened, those were the two that Severus and Draco would get.  Right then there was a loud creak as Dudley waddled down the steps and the front door opened at the same time.  Both Dudley and Vernon went immediately to the sitting room, barely giving Harry a glance.  

            Petunia introduced the guests, and Harry brought in the tea.  He set it down and retreated to the kitchen, watching as the potions took affect.  Suddenly Dudley burped extremely loud, and shrunk at the same time.  Vernon hiccupped, and suddenly his head was through the roof, as he became three times his size.  Petunia became a very tall beanstalk.  

            "Hmmm…" said Severus, "the Fairy Tale potion.  Can never tell what Fairy 

Tale the family will become.  Hmmm…seems to be Jack and the beanstalk.  Well, thank you Petunia dear!!!  The company was wonderful!!!!  Enjoyed the tea greatly!!!!!  Don't be surprised if you get another visit from me some time soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!  C'mon you two, let's get out of here, it smells like sewer rats!"

            Harry, Draco, and Severus were hiking up the hill towards Hogwarts.  "That was absolutely brilliant!" said Draco.  "I'm paying attention in Potions from now on!"

            "Are you telling me that you didn't before!?" asked the Potions Master, turning on him.

            "Now, I didn't necessarily say that, I said that I'd pay attention from now on…"

            "Which implies that you didn't before."

            "Why would he?" muttered Harry under his breath.

            "HARRY JAMES POTTER AND DRACO MALFOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

            "RUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!" yelled the boys.  Both took off up the hill, with a red faced Potions Master running after them.  Up the hill, through the doors, and straight into the Great Hall, ignoring the gasps at seeing Harry Potter after he had been missing.  "GODRIC PRESERVE US!!!!!" yelled Harry.  "SLYTHERIN SAVE US!!!!!!!!!" yelled Draco.

            A panting Severus Snape appeared in the doorway.  "YOU ARE DEAD MEAT!!!!!!"

_I've got to go, and my brother is yelling at me.  I'm really sorry it's this short, but I can't sit at the computer long anymore because of physically disabilities, mainly neck and back.  Anyways, please forgive me, and I'll try to update soon!_


	5. Figuring it out

A/N: **drum roll please**  (drum stick is thrown at head)  NEVER MIND!!!!!!  

            Jeez….I guess someone's antsy…  oh well…

            I'm back from the dead!!!!!!!  

            Now Sammy can't strangle me, and Talons can't rip me to bits, and Mr. Drummer can stop throwing things at my head!!!!!

            Thanks for being patient with me!!!

                                    Anneliese (The Stripe Part) (If that needs explaining look at our bio)

CHAPTER FIVE!!!!!!!

            "HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" yelled each boy individually diving under Albus' chair.  The poor piece of wood began shaking as Dumbledore found himself lifted substantially off the ground.  

            "I'M GONNA HELP YOU ALRIGHT!!!!!!" yelled the Potions Master stalking down the isle in between the tables.  "HELP YOU LEARN WHY YOU SHOULD PAY ATTENTION IN POTIONS!!!!!!!!"

            "I THINK WE'VE LEARNED ENOUGH!!!!!!" came Draco's slightly muffled response.

            "I AGREE!!!!!" yelled Harry.  "PLENTY!!!! WON'T MAKE THAT MISTAKE TWICE!!!!"

            "WHAT ONE!!!! NOT PAYING ATTENTION IN POTIONS, OR TELLING ME THAT YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION!!!!"

            "Can't tell you, that'd be a mistake," muttered Draco.  Unfortunately for him, Snape was already behind them.

            "Yes, and we wouldn't want to do that, would we?" asked Snape quietly from behind them.  Both boys screamed and Dumbledore went flying into the air as they made a mad dash away.  Bad luck seemed to be on their side today, especially when Snape caught them by the back of the robes.

            They turned around to face him.  "N…now, Un…Uncle Severus….you…you wouldn't want to…I mean…you wouldn't really….DID YOU SEE THE WAY THAT PETUNIA GREW INTO THAT BEANSTALK!!!???"

            It seemed that the tactic was going to work when Severus burst out laughing.  "Harry, you are worse than Draco at changing the subject!"

            "Hey!!!  That hurt!"

            "What your pride?  That can't hurt any more than it already does."

            "Shut up Harry."

            "Ladies first!"

            "DID YOU JUST CALL ME A LADY!!!!????"

            Severus was forced to let go as Draco broke free attempting to pound Harry.  They ran halfway across the Great Hall, turned around, both waved to Severus, and made a dash for the door together.  "I can't believe they just tricked me….I can't believe…"

            "Severus," said Albus from the floor, "believe we have something to discuss."

            "Do you two realize how much I had to explain to Albus, and now he had to explain it to the school, and…you are both laughing at me."  Severus had come storming down, mind fully set on lecturing them and then cursing them to Alaska, but he couldn't seem to keep a straight face whenever he looked at them.

            "Not at you Uncle Severus, never _at_ you…"

            "You can't lie either."

            "He's a Gryffindork, what do you expect?"

            "Not much more from you Draco."

            "Hey!  That wasn't…"

            "And you've both almost successfully changed the subject again.  Are you trying to cause a mental breakdown!!!??"

            Both boys just looked at him innocently.  They reminded him astutely of the Weasley twins.  He knew that he didn't want the answer to that question.  So, he decided to change the subject himself.  "Harry, I believe you have some explanations, or lies, to give your friends, and since you're to restart classes tomorrow, I believe that you best tell them tonight."

            Harry's face fell.  Draco glared at Snape, and then turned to Harry.  "Hey, come on Harry, you've got two top notch liars…well, maybe one, here to help you, and if they don't accept it, that's their problem.  They would be the ones losing the good friend by their own fault, not you.  You still have us to come back to. _Isn't that **right**, _Severus?"

            Snape realized his mistake.  "Of course, you don't even have to go back to the dorm if you don't want to, Al…Professor Dumbledore just wants you attending classes."

            "But what am I supposed to tell them…"

            "You got lost!" said Draco.  Severus glared at him "Or not…"

            "Gee…that's about as good as saying that I got trampled by a rampaging Hippogriff," the sullen Harry muttered.

            "Hey…that's not a bad idea," said Draco.  Severus and Harry looked at him questioningly.  "You found out that Severus was your uncle, and you two were spending some quality time at the manor, which is surrounded by those paddocks that you keep Hippogriffs in!  You went out for a walk, and BAM!!!!!"

            It sounded crazy…but it just might work.

Sorry its so short, next chapter is breaking the news.


	6. Rampaging Ron

Hey Guys!!!  It's me again!!!  I'm back for more!!!!  (Actually, I'm just taking a break from my homework that I've been working on for….four hours.  Grr…).

(Hey Arizosa…I think Snape just might…ahem _accidentally_  get…something…in his…ummm…fa…I'll shut up now.)

                                                            SAVING FACE…I MEAN GRACE

                                                            CHAPTER WHATEVER NUMBER COMES NEXT

            Harry held his breath and closed his eyes as he stood facing the large wooden doors.  _I can do this._  Harry opened one eye.  _No I can't!_  He had been standing like this for the past five minutes waiting to go through.  Well, not exactly waiting to go through, but nerving himself up to it.  "Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to open me up!"  Harry jumped as one of the lines on the old door became a mouth and began to talk.  

            "Umm…well…you see….I…umm…"

            "When you think of it come back to tell me," said the door swinging open to reveal the full Great Hall.  _Oh crap.  _ The first person who had seen him was none other than a certain redheaded someone, who seemed slightly P.O.ed when he saw him.  

            "**_YOU BLOODY GIT!!!!!!!!!!  WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!!!! YOU DISSAPEAR FROM THE TRAIN, THEN YOU REAPPEAR WITH MALFOY AND SNAPE!!! AND THEN, HE'S YOUR BLOODY UNCLE!!!!!!!!!!  DO YOU EVER THINK THAT THE REST OF US MIGHT APPRECIATE KNOWING WHAT IS GOING ON!!!!!!!!????????  OF COURSE NOT THOUGH!!!!  YOU'RE FAMOUS HARRY POTTER!!!!  YOU ARE ABSOBLOODYLUTY A COMPLETE AND TOTAL IDIOT!!!!!!!  HOW COULD YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I OUGHT TO HIT YOU FOR IT I TELL YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IN FACT, I JUST MIGHT…"_**

**_            "RONALD WEASLEY SIT DOWN THIS INSTANT!" _**

            "Yes, Mione."  

            Harry probably would have told them all about the stupid story he, Draco, and Severus had come up with the night before, but now he didn't want to.  "Yes, Ronald.  I do think that the rest of you might appreciate knowing what was going on.  Yet, did you ever think that I couldn't tell you what was going on!  Yes, I am famous Harry Potter, suck it up and deal with it!  To top it off, you scored Ron!  I am an idiot!  For ever thinking that you would understand."  During this whole interlude the Great Hall had stopped everything and was watching intently.  McGonagall had stood up and was about to leave the table, but Dumbledore stopped her.  "Did you ever think that for just once that I would _want_ a family?!  You have six siblings and two parents!  _I have had **nothing.**_For once, I want to know what it's like to have a family that really loves you.  Now that I found that Ron, you can never take it away.  Snape cared for me!  Yeah, maybe he messed up in the past!  You've messed up too Ron!  I can't deal with Voldemort alone, and if having you as a friend is only going to add to my problems, then I'm not going to deal with that."  Ron was beet red, and definitely mad.  

            "Umm…Harry?"

            "What Hermione?"

            "I just wanted to say that, well, I'm sorry for everything.  We should have asked you on the train what happened…for that matter, what did happen?"

            "I was at the manor over the summer, and _Uncle_ Severus and I were walking when one of the hippogriffs got loose.  It was a bit upset about this bee that had been provoking it, and went on a rampage.  The funny part was when it sat on Uncle Severus' face. (Hee hee…)  The not so funny part occurred after that.  And, Hermione, if you're apologizing for your snog session, don't."  

            "_Harry Potter, why I aught a…_" started Ron.

            "Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe I'm late for class."

            First period class was Transfiguration with McGonagall, and it wasn't going well.  Ron just kept 'happening' to miss the pillow they were supposed to be transfiguring, and hitting Harry instead.  They had the class with Ravenclaws, and all of them were so surprised at the argument at breakfast that they were acting like Harry didn't exist.  All in all, it didn't get much better.

            By the time Harry had Divination he was a mess.  He half wanted to apologize to Ron and Hermione, but every time Ron looked at him, he decided that he didn't really want to.  Trelawney wasn't helping much either.  The hippogriff story had spread like wildfire, and had obviously made it all the way up to the bug-eyed professor.  After the third time that he had been supposedly trampled to death by a hippogriff, sat on by an elephant, and killed by a run away Cornish Pixie, Harry got slightly fed up and threw the crystal ball across the room, where it hit Ron in the back of the head.  All in all the day was not going well.

            That afternoon found Harry raging to Draco, until he just collapsed and burst out in tears.  "I hate him," he whispered.  "I hate him!  Why did he have to say that!"  Ron was obviously extremely mad, and had gone so far as to make a derogatory comment about his mother being a worthless halfwitch related to Snape.  

            "He didn't mean it Harry, he's probably as upset as you are…" said Draco soothingly rubbing Harry's back.  

            "Tell Sev I'm not coming to dinner."

            "No."

            "Why?"

            "Because I'm not leaving you here alone.  Come on, we'll get food from the House Elves and picnic out by the lake."  Draco pulled Harry up and after him before he had a chance to respond.

            "Harry Potter, you have got to eat something."

            "I'm not hungry."

            "If you let Ron get to you, he wins."  At that, Harry's eyes widened and he began eating everything he could from the basket in front of him.  "That's better."  

            All of a sudden there was a loud noise coming out the front door of the castle.  "HARRY POTTER AND DRACO MALFOY, WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU NOT DOING AT DINNER!!!!!!??????"  It was Severus.

Sorry, that's all I have time for, but I updated for Arizosa, since she's been so wonderful! 

            


	7. Tricks and Traps

A/N:  I'm alive, and back again from the dead!

No, actually, school's out.  That's all…

Saving Grace….Chapter…7

            Both boys stopped everything as Severus came running towards them.  Severus was about to yell again when he made it down, but was too winded.  Instead, he thought a simple "Explain" would do, with the typical Patent Snape Glare, of course.  Both boys immediately began trying to explain, which only caused Severus to become more confused.  "Stop!"  They shut up.  "Now, what happened?  Draco?"

            "It started this morning when you were in the dungeons…" (Draco)

            "…and I was going to breakfast…"

            "Yes…Harry was going to breakfast…"  
            "then the door talked…"

            "Yes, then the door…the door did what?!"

            "It doesn't matter Draco."

            "Okay."

            "Then it opened by itself…"  
            "Yes, it opened by itself!?"

            "Yeah, now will you stop asking about the door?"

            "Sure."

            "And Ron started yelling…"

            "real loud…"

            "Yes, really loud.   He called me a git…and a idiot…and said I didn't think about them, and how stupid I was…"

            "Definitely mentioned that."

            "So I got a little upset…"

            "More than a little."

            "Fine, more than a little upset, and said some things I didn't mean."

            "Including a hippogriff sat on you head, Sev."

            "But I did mean that."

            "Oh."

            "And then I left."

            "Right through those talking self-opening doors."

            "Yeah, right through…Draco!"

            "Sorry."

            "Anyway, the day got worse from there….and then…."  Harry stopped and looked down at his feet.

            "It's not your fault Harry.  You know your Mum wasn't worthless."

            "Who said that?!?!" yelled Severus.

            "Ron," muttered Harry.

            "Then," said Draco, "I was afraid that Harry was going to kill himself while I was at dinner…so we ate down here."

            "I…see.  That explains why Minerva was yelling at me this morning."

            "What did she say?" asked Harry.

            "Something about 'bad example', 'crazy', and 'runs in the family'."

            "Oh.  That's pretty true."

            "Draco!"

            "Hey, the truth shall set you free."

            "From what?"

            "I don't know, Harry, it's a Muggle saying.  They make no sense whatsoever."

            "So far, they've made more sense than you," said Severus smirking.

            "Agreed."

            "Hey!  That's not fair!"

            "Life is not fair Draco.  Get over with it."

            "Shut up Harry!"

            "Ladies first!"

            "I'm not a lady!"  
            "You take long enough in the bathroom to be one!"

            "Do not!"

            "Do too!"

            "Do not!"

            "Do too!"  Severus just followed them back up to the school, shaking his head, and hoping they wouldn't always be like this.  

            Harry woke the next morning to something rough against his cheek.  Floundering for his glasses, he pushed them on his nose.  Through the small amount of morning light Harry saw a piece of folded parchment on his pillow.  Dread filled his stomach as he looked at it, deeply imprinted on the cream paper was a symbol…a skull with a snake slithering out of its mouth…the Dark Mark.

            His mouth felt dry as his trembling fingers reached out to touch it.  Praying that it wasn't a portkey Harry touched it, hoping beyond all hope it was just a joke.  Just a joke played by Ron because he was still mad at him…just a joke from the Gryffindors because he was a traitor…  Harry touched it, eyes closed, and breathed a sigh of relief when nothing happened.  

            Slowly, very slowly, Harry unfolded the parchment.  Black words in a flowing script glared into his mind, and as realization hit blood rushed to his head.  "No…no…it's not…they can't…no…"  Numbly Harry reread the words.  

                        _Mr. Potter,_

_                                    If you want your family…come and get them._

            The parchment fluttered to the ground as Harry jumped to his feet.  "I've got to save them…"  Harry pulled on robes, not caring what they looked like, or if they were even his.  Having been moved back to the Gryffindor Tower, Harry may have taken Neville's robes for all he knew.  In minutes Harry had found his broom, and grabbed his wand before he was out his window, never once thinking it could be a trap.

            An extremely tired Ron worked his way out of bed at the sound of other's voices.  "Really," Dean was saying, "did you really see Potter run away?"

            "Of course," said Seamus.  "He took his broom and went right out the window without looking back.  Hope the filthy traitor gets lost!  Even thinking of having Snape for an Uncle…and being friends with Malfoy.  He could honestly die for all I care!"

            A strange guilty feeling was crawling up Ron's stomach.  Harry had given him a letter the night before, and Ron had read it even though he had told Harry he wouldn't.  In fact, he had read it so many times that he had it memorized.

                        _Hey Ron,_

_                                    Look, I'm really sorry about what I said…I didn't mean it._

_                                    It's just…what you said really hurt, and I really wanted to tell you what happened.  In fact, I still do…so, here it is…_

            And it had, explained everything…Ron had stayed up most of the night trying to figure out how to apologize to Harry in the morning.  Ron felt like he should have been there…but he also felt like he had ignored Harry, like he should have paid more attention to Harry instead of the Boy-Who-Lived.  As Ron looked down at his feet something caught his eye.  Snatching up the parchment and reading it Ron paled.

            "Ronald Weasley what do you mean that Harry Potter is gone!?" yelled Hermione in the middle of the Great Hall.  Ron shoved the note in Hermione's face.

            "Don't you get it!  Snape and Malfoy are still here!  It was trap Hermione!  It was a trap!"


	8. Of Hamperings and Hawks

Disclaimer:  All right!  I admit it!  I disclaimed my story in the beginning!!!!  And I'm sorry!!!  I know I haven't updated it a year!!!!…I shouldn't have told you that.

A/N:  Ummm…hi guys.  I know you're all pretty…probably…a tinsey weensy upset with me…but that doesn't mean we have to get violent or anything!!!  I came back to post chapter 8…and that's what counts!  Right???  So, anywho, I've kept you long enough…

This chapter is for my best friend who has been bugging me for a year to update this.  Of course, she's in Ireland right now and doesn't have internet access…SO SHE'LL NEVER KNOW!!!!!

Saving Space on my computer

I mean

Saving Grace Chapter 8

Flashback to whatever chapter came before this:  _Mr. Potter,_

_                                                                                    If you want your family…come and _

_                                                                                    get them._

_"Ronald Weasley what do you mean that Harry Potter is gone?!"_

_            "Don't you get it!  Snape and Malfoy are still here!  It as a trap Hermione!  It was a trap!"_

**The Night Before, Slytherin Common Room:**

****

            Draco was the second most hated student in the whole of Hogwarts right now.  He really wasn't very happy about being ousted from his post of most hated Hogwarts student, but he could have dealt with the fact if his house wasn't the one that had him at the top of their hit-list.  He'd been hexed three times and cursed twice in the past half hour alone.  He figured Harry was faring much worse in the Gryffindor Common Room, considering he was now Golden Boy gone Silver.  In fact, right now, Harry was probably the most hated student in Hogwarts for trading in his red for green and accepting Draco…and Snape too.  In fact, it wasn't just his housemates…it was the whole school who hated Harry.  Except for the Slytherins, who were just a smidgen too busy torturing Draco at the moment, and wanted to deal with their own turncoat first, before they moved onto a bigger project. 

            Once his feet stopped tap dancing, Draco headed for the dorm, tired of dealing with immature Slytherins who wouldn't know a proper curse if one hit them…then again, if a proper curse hit them…they should be more worried about knowing the proper counter curse.  When he reached the doorway, the handle bit his hand, and Draco opted for kicking it open instead.  Scanning the star-lit room, he discovered his bed missing, and his belongings were thrown about the room…  And his broomstick lay snapped in the middle of the floor.  Taking a deep breath, and counting to ten in French, Draco picked up the severed pieces of his broom, and wrapped them in the sheet on Goyle's bed.  He began picking up pieces of paper, they were letters from his family, which he threw into the wastepaper basket in the corner of the room.  Then he picked up a worn rag doll off the floor.  He stroked back a piece of blonde yarn hair that had fallen out of the light pink bonnet.  One of its button eyes were missing, and the red stitches that were its lips had begun to fade and fall out.  Draco remembered talking to the hawk in his garden.  He had often fancied that it talked to him, but as Draco grew older, he decided that he had made up the conversations with the bird.  There was one imaginary conversation Draco remembered in particular.

            _"Do you have any brothers?" asked the hawk.  "I have two, but they left the nest at the same time I did."_

_            The seven-year-old looked up in the tree, and then down at the doll in his hands.  "I had a sister once.  She was very nice I think.  Something happened to her though."  A tear was in his eye now.  But Malfoys don't cry.  It must be the breeze blowing.  But she had cried._

_            "Were you there?" asked the hawk.  He, the hawk was visible now.  He was perched on the lowest branch, just out of Draco's reach.  Draco's eyes scrunched up, and he tried to push the button that was falling off the doll's face back into place.  _

_            "I think so.  But I'm not sure what happened.  She gave me this doll you know.  Said that as long as I had it, she'd be able to keep me safe.  But she can't keep me safe if she's not here, can she?"_

_            "I'm sure she still can.  Keep you safe from what Draco?"_

            "That man.  The one with the red eyes.  I remember now.  She…she told him no.  He pulled out his wand.  Mother and Father and Sister had one too.  There was a big red (No it is not an AK, and I didn't mix up my colors J ) light…and and when when I shook her, Hawk, she, she didn't answer.  I tried to give her the doll…Father told me to go to my room then.  Mother told me afterwards that Sister left.  And she didn't want to come back.  But, that wasn't true.  Sister told me she'd never leave."  A tear landed on the doll's loose button eye and fell down her face.  "She promised she'd always be there.  Cassie never broke a promise.  Not like…not like Father, and not like Mother."

            _"I'm sure she'll keep her promise," said the hawk.  "I'm sure she'll try in any way possible."_

            "But, Mother had said that she grew up, and that's why she went away.  She told me though, that when she grew up, she'd take me with her.  So, she couldn't grow up.  If she grew up, I wouldn't be here.  That man, that man with the red eyes.  He did it.  He did something to Cassie.  He hurt my Sister.  Father doesn't know I still have her doll.  Father told me to get rid of it.  He doesn't know that I'll keep it forever……

            Draco put the doll in the sheet with the broken broom.  He bent down, and pulled a Muggle photo out of the broken picture frame.  It was a girl who would be about twenty four now.  Actually, she would turn twenty four in January.  She had had the photo taken when she was fifteen, in one of the Muggle photo booths that they put in their malls.  She had then given one to her six year old brother.  It was a black and white photo, but he remembered her brown hair, and how it didn't fit in with the rest of the family's, and how when she smiled at him her eyes lit up.  That was the one thing that made her a Malfoy.  Her grey eyes.  But hers were not hard and cold like his father's.  They were warm, happy, and they could make Draco light up in an instant.  Cassandra Malfoy had been teaching him how to read after her tutors left for the day before she died.  Because to Draco, there was no way she could be alive now.  Nine years was too long.  He knew now that the red-eyed man in his nightmares was Voldemort.  And he knew that he could never side with him, because He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had taken his only true happiness from him.  He took away the girl who would march plastic Calvary men across Draco's room by hand, and then would come to him in the night when she knew he had a bad dream.  He threw the picture into the bundle too and tied the sheet up into a knot. 

            Deciding against going back through the Common Room, Draco opted instead to first push his load through the ground level window, and to follow head first while standing on Crabbe's bed.  With that done, he headed back into the castle to talk to Snape about seriously letting him move into different rooms.

            The next morning came all too cheerfully in Draco's opinion.  After having a night filled of the repetitive dream of his sister's death, though he never noticed that the light color was not green, but red, and felt that something just wasn't quite right.  He followed Severus to the Great Hall, who had decided to talk to Dumbledore after last night's conversation.  On the way, Draco walked into two walls that he could have sworn weren't there a minute ago, fell through two trick stairs, and got bowled over by one Dennis Creevy.  By the time he got to the Great Hall, he was in no mood to hear Weasley screaming. 

"Don't you get it!  Snape and Malfoy are still here!  It as a trap Hermione!  It was a trap!"   It took a second for the fact to penetrate Draco's brain who they were talking about.

And when it did, Draco took off like a bullet.  "What do you mean!  Where's Harry!?"  Draco had grabbed Ron by the collar, and had him shoved against the table, his red hair in the scrambled eggs bowl.  "What did you do!?!"

"It …was…He-…who…"

"Voldemort," hissed Draco, causing half the Hall to jump, and the others to look around as if he was going to swoop from the ceiling.  The only thing that did sweep down from the ceiling was a hawk.

_I see you have acquired a brother_, it said calmly.  _There is still time to rescue him if you hurry, and follow me._

"Where…Where have you been?  I thought that…I mean, you never came back and…"

_Oh, yes, well it took me awhile.  But there is still time to rescue you're sister as well.  _With that Draco's eyes widened, and he sat down hard on the Gryffindor's bench.

A/N:  So, umm, please read and review.  And all that good stuff.  And if you're really mad that I haven't updated for…well a really long time, you're flames will be used to make peach cobbler, because that is really good after you've had Shepherd's Pie.  I really do appreciate your reviews though, so go on and click the button.


	9. Chapter in which nothing of consequence ...

Disclaimer:  I…I…I…I…I WISH THAT I OWNED HARRY POTTER AND THAT THEY COULD ALL BOW TO MY EVIL DOINGS!!!!!  But that must be left to J.K. I'm afraid…

A/N:  Umm…you will not meet Cassie in this chapter.  Maybe in the next one.  And Harry isn't going to be saved because I'm working on a chapter of another story, (The 5th year mage) which I want to finish, and then I'll rescue Harry.  Maybe.  Or maybe I won't.

Saving Grace

Chapter Neuf

            "Malfoy," came a distinctive Irish voice.  "This may not seem the best time to ask…"  Ahh…Finnigan.  "But…first of all, why are you talking to a bird as if it talks back, and why are you sitting at our table, considering the fact that its defiled with Muggleborns and all of that."  Draco wasn't really listening to him, all he knew was that someone was talking to him, and that someone was Finnigan, and that he really didn't care what he had said.  So Draco just nodded at him and smiled.  The Irish boy's eyebrows raised into his hairline.  Malfoy had just smiled.  "Hello.  Malfoy?  You home up there?  You look like He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named declared that the was queer and that he likes to wear pink."

            "He is," stated Draco matter-of-factly, having caught the last sentence.  "I mean he does.  Well, not exactly.  He's not queer, but he owns a pink pair of robes, and he has underwear with little hearts on it.  But he's not queer.  At least I don't think.  And…oh, Harry!"  The last seemed to be an absentminded comment as he jumped up from the bench as if it were poisoned.  He shoved Ron out of the way, causing the scrambled eggs in his hair to go flying into Hermione's face, and turned to look straight at the hawk.  "Hawk, where's Harry?"

            _Harry is on his Firebolt, heading in the completely opposite direction of Voldemort's hideout.  I fear he has no sense of which way is which.  _The hawk replied all of this while preening itself.  It then flew to Ron's head and landed there to peck out the spare pieces of scrambled eggs.

            "Hey!  Geoff me!"

            Severus had moved across the Great Hall, which was strangely silent.  Except for the Slytherin table, who were shooting Death glares at Draco, the students who were discussing Voldemort's taste in underwear, and Ron doing some insane sort of tap dance trying to dislodge the hawk.  He had made it to the Gryffindor table unnoticed, partly because the were all involved at laughing at Ron's plight, and was about to interrupt Draco's obviously pretend conversation with the bird, until Draco turned again to the hawk and asked a question that floored him.  "Where's Cassandra?"

            _Well…you see…that is rather complicated, but I assure you she is as safe as anyone can be in these times.****_

            "What do you mean, Hawk?  Where's Cassie?"

            Hearing the vehemence in Malfoy's voice about this imaginary person that none of them had ever heard of, whispers started around the Great Hall, discussing cases of Teen Insanity.  Something Draco Malfoy obviously had since he was asking a bird, who was sitting on Ron's head and refused to be disloged, about people.  "Draco," said Severus carefully, almost as if he was treading into dangerous waters by speaking to him.  "You and I both know that your sister is dead.  You saw her die.  I know that Cassandra could not be alive.  You've taken everything rather hard lately…"  The whispers increased, drowning out Severus' voice, but not Ron's yelling.  Draco Malfoy had witnessed his sister's death?  How had she died?  Was it gruesome?  Is that why Malfoy had Teen Insanity?  Malfoy had a sister in the first place?  It was rather good, don't you think, that there was one less of his kind populating the world?

            "Explain later, Hawk," said Draco, completely ignoring his godfather.  "You say she's safe and I think I believe you.  I'm going to rescue Harry now.  Who's coming with me?!"  Everyone stopped their rumors in the making to look at the obviously insane blonde boy.  "Fine then…I'll just do it myself."  He started to leave, but turned back to the bird.  "And Hawk, leave Weasley alone.  Go annoy someone worth the time.  Like Parkinson."  Ron's yells stopped immediately as the large bird flew off to the Slytherin table.  Eyes widened at the fact that there was living proof that Malfoy was talking to the bird.

            "Mr. Malfoy…"started McGonagall, but he was all ready tuning everyone out.  As he reached the doors with Severus on his heels, a voice rang out.

            "Good luck dear."  Draco, slightly confused scanned the room for the offender that had interrupted his perfectly executed stalking walk.  "Up dear."  Confused, Draco looked at the ceiling, wondering if it could suddenly talk.  "No, down a bit dear."  It must be the walls!  That was it!  "Now, straight ahead."  Oh.  The doors.  "Yes the doors.  I hope you do find Harry.  It was quite an interesting conversation we had.  I haven't met one with such a great potential for pranks in a long time.  Well, other than the Weasley twins of course, but it runs in his blood you see, and I'm rambling aren't I?"  Draco nodded.  "Well then…Good luck again."

            Draco just shrugged and continued out as Snape rolled his eyes and muttered, "Slytherin save _me_." 

            "Oh, yes," said the door.  "And you Severus.  You finally stopped slamming doors.  I'm so pleased, because that means you must have gotten over that incident back in your fifth year.  The one in which your sister was so mad at you that she turned you into a girl.  And you had to wear a pink th…"

            Turning bright red, he grabbed Draco by his arm, who had stopped dead to turn and stare, and presently dragged him out, ignoring the open mouths and whispers following him out.  "Remind me to figure out how to burn that door to the ground!"

            "You had to wear a..a…"

            "So, Lily was a little upset."

            "But, what did you do?" 

            "Whatever gave you such an idea, Draco, that I would have done anything to incur my sister's wrath?"  Draco just looked at him skeptically and walked into Severus' rooms.  "Well.  I didn't. It wasn't my fault.  Not at all."  He went into a closet to pull out two cloaks and tossed one to Draco.  "There was no way I promised Dung Fletcher a date with her to the Yule ball.  No way.  So obviously, there was no reason for her to dress me up like a girl, and tell me to go with him myself, now was there?"

            "Whose Dung?"

            "You'd understand if you met him.  Trust me.  Now, where did that bird of yours say Harry was?"

            "In the complete opposite direction of You-Know-Whose hideout.  Wherever that would be." 

            "Well, than he should be over London soon.  Let's Floo there, and rent a couple of brooms, and then look for him."

            "You fly?  I mean…I didn't really think you were…"

            "For your information, _Mr. Malfoy_, I flew better than James Potter.  Well, I flew better than him on days we weren't playing against each other.  I always let him catch the Snitch for Lily's sake."  Draco's response was to raise one eyebrow.  "Well, if you don't believe me…"

            "No, no, of _course_ I believe you.  Why wouldn't you want James to win every time?"  With that, he grabbed the Floo from the mantle and threw it into the fireplace yelling, "The Leaky Cauldron!!"


	10. Always remember to wear your glasses

A/N: Hi guys…with the big sticks, and the torches…and…hey, put that machine gun down…you…you don't know what you're doing! Ahhhh! Run!

Disclaimer: One day…one day Pinky, I will take over the world…and on that day…all Harry Potter characters will bow down to me and do my bidding! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…oh, umm…hi guys in white suites…whatchya doin'? Oh…I don't think that'll look so good on me…did you know you can't move your arms in this outfit….guys, where are we going? Did you say padded walls…Hmm…the possibilities….

Saving Hope 

**I mean**

**Saving Faith**

**Saving Love**

**Saving…Face…**

**Oh yes,**

**Saving Grace**

**Chapter…hold on, (1, 2, 5, 8, 4,6, 3, 7, 9, 10) 10**

Harry was trying his best to ignore the biting wind that was coming at him head on, and was also trying to ignore the discomfort caused by the cold and the absence of a cloak at high altitudes. If he squinted his eyes a little the wind didn't hurt his eyes so much, which weren't used to not being protected by his glasses. He had taken them off, afraid the wind would blow them away and he'd be left blind to face Voldemort. That did compromise his current vision though, and he was trying not to admit to himself that he really had no idea where he was, not that that mattered, because he had no idea where he was supposed to go in the first place. Other then the fact that he had figured it would be far away from Hogwarts.

Harry personally felt that he was getting better at the flying almost blind thing. Of course, he had pulled up higher after that last forest that he had run through. That had been after a castle, the tree with the low hanging branches, a boulder, and a flock of sheep. He had discovered some time between the castle and the boulder that he had no depth perception without his glasses, and that as much as sheep look like clouds when he didn't have his glasses on…they didn't feel like them.

Harry heard loud noises below him, and wondering if he was close to the destination-that-he-had-no-idea-where-it-was, Harry decided to bring his broom down somewhat so he could see. About thirty seconds later he discovered that the loud noise had been the honking of a car horn, and that cars were not softer than the sheep that he had thought were clouds. Harry prayed there hadn't been a Muggle in the car as he pulled up higher with his broom.

At the sound of squealing brakes, Draco and Severus both turned towards the direction they had heard it from, wondering what had happened. What they heard was quite a bit of profuse cussing, and the damming of a large bird that had appeared out of nowhere and had damaged the man's windshield. When the two wizards saw the windshield, it seemed rather unlikely that a bird of any size could have caused such damage, if fact, it looked rather like a teenage boy had ridden into it on a broomstick in Draco's opinion. Turning to his godfather, Draco saw the same unspoken question written all over the older man's face. If Harry had made Seeker in first year, and he could see a tiny little golden ball with wings…how could he have missed the car?

"Maybe…umm…I've got it," said Draco. "He's mad with grief and umm…needed something to take his anger out on?"

"So the threw himself through the windshield of a passing car. I knew Gryffindors were stupid…but…even I would not have thought that a Gryffindor was capable of that…except possibly Pettigrew…but that's doubtful, because he wasn't ever capable of much other than eating. Let's go and find Harry." And with that the two mounted their broomsticks and took off, their departure covered by the loud ruckus going on at damaged car.

Harry had never quite seen a pair of birds that large. Of course, if he squinted his eyes a little more, he could almost say that they appeared to be different from one another in coloring, but both seemed to be the size of a human. What also seemed strange, other than their size, they didn't appear to be flapping any wings, and they were headed right towards him. Before Harry had quite pondered that one out the birds had pulled up on either side of him.

"Ahh…that explains it. No glasses." Harry had never heard a bird talk before, let alone a bird talk with his uncle's voice.

"Birds don't talk," Harry muttered under his breath, deciding that the fear of what was happening to his family was getting to him and that was all.

"Actually, Harry, I know a hawk who talks."

And now the other bird had Draco's voice. This was not a good morning for Harry. Maybe his head had gotten beaten up when he crashed into that car.

"Harry, why don't you put on your glasses."

Now Harry wasn't going to take a bird's advice, even if the bird was talking in his uncle's voice, who he'd never disobey otherwise. "See, I don't talk to birds…so, umm…I don't really think that's the best idea. Has Voldemort rigged talking birds now? Is that it?"

"No Harry," said Draco. "If you'd put on your glasses you'd be able to see we aren't talking birds."

"I've heard of talking doors…Actually I've heard a talking door. But birds…"

"Harry, if you don't take any of our other advice I'd suggest you duck, because you are about to fly into a branch."

"Like I said, I don't listen to…" Harry landed hard on the ground. "Birds." Harry pulled out his glasses and adjusted them. "Oh, hi guys, when did you get here?"

"Harry, don't you ever do something that stupid again!"

"Yes sir."

"You could have been killed!"

"Yes sir."

"And flying without your glasses!"

"Yes sir."

"You could have been seriously injured, do you understand me!"

"Sir, yes, Sir!"

"Harry, we are not in the military."

"Sir, yes, Sir!"

"Harry!"

"Sir, yes, Sir?"

Severus sighed and hung his head in defeat.

"Umm…if let's say that Voldemort wasn't lying and he thought that he had my family…I mean…not even the Dursleys would really deserve that…would they?"

"Harry, if Voldemort has them he could not hurt them one-tenth as much as they hurt you. And if he has them he will send you another warning, so I wouldn't worry about that right now."

"I have just one more question for the both of you."

Draco got up from his place at Snape's hearth and turned to face Harry. "What is it?"

Harry shifted slightly on the couch. "How…how did you know where I was?"

Draco grinned. "You could say that a little birdie told me."

"Draco, I thought we went over this, birds don't talk."

"Who says Harry, you?"

"Yes me."

"Maybe they don't talk to you because you smell."

"Oh, that really hurt me."

"Or maybe it's because you're a Gryffindor and therefore don't have the brain power to talk to them."

"Shut up."

"After you."

"Boys!"

"Sorry, Sir," they said in unison, grins on their faces.

"Draco," said Severus suddenly very serious. "What did the hawk say?"

"You mean the bird actually talked?"

"Yes Harry, now what did it say?"

"That Harry was flying in the exact opposite direction of Voldemort's lair and had no sense of direction."

"No Draco, about Cassie. What did the hawk say about Cassie?"

Draco sighed and sat down on the sofa next to Harry. "Who's Cassie?" asked Harry, confused and looking back and forth between them. "Draco what's wrong?"

Draco reached into his pocket and pulled out the careworn black and white photo. "This is Cassie, Harry. She's…she was my sister. Nine years ago…she…She refused to become a follower of the Dark Lord…She…she died for it. My parents never liked her, and didn't really care…But, she…she had promised she'd protect me…The hawk…the hawk said that Cassie was still alive…and safe. That she was safe….But, if she was safe…she had promised…and Cassie didn't ever break a promise." Draco almost jumped off the couch then and flew into his empty bedroom, slamming the door behind him and trying to muffle his sobs into the newly pressed pillow.

A minute later he heard soft footsteps and he felt the bed sink in as Harry sat on it. "I…I'm sorry I asked who she was…She must have loved you…a lot. I can't really understand…see, everyone who I lost that loved me…I didn't really know them that well…I mean…I was just a baby…and…I must sound really stupid."

Draco grinned slightly into his pillow. Without moving his head his response came out slightly muffled, but Harry understood it to be, "How is that any different then normally?" Either that or it was, "Cows zat fany sifferent ven sormally?"

The bed shook as Harry laughed, but then he shivered from the open window. "Here, I'll close the window." He stood and crossed the spotless floor to the window, but just as he went to close it he was attacked by a mass of brown feathers that caused him to trip backwards and land on the floor. "As if my butt wasn't bruised all ready. Ahh! It's that hawk!"

"Shh…" said Draco. "Hawk…tell me. Where can I find Cassie?"

"What's it say?" asked Harry impatiently.

"Harry, pack a bag without Sev noticing. Meet me back here at midnight. We're going to America."

A/N: I've got to stop for now…sorry guys. No, really, I am sorry. I just finished a 40 page report for my AP English class…ick…

Anywho, any flames will be used to burn said report.

Thanks guys. Remember to click the little button and review!


	11. Ocean Blues

_A/N: And once again I'm back from the dead…rather nice vacation spot, wherever I was…it was a bit warm…but hey, who's complaining?_

**Saving Grace**

**Chapter 11**

**(Did you know that the number 11 is a palindrome?)**

"Draco, these cross continent Floos seem to cost an awful lot…"

"Oh, shush, Harry. Not nearly as much as your precious Firebolt."

"Point taken." Harry moved from fireplace to fireplace, trying to find the right one. "Umm…Draco, what are these places…there's Alabama…and Utah….and Hawaii….hmmm…Hawaii sounds interesting. The woman said this was the American room, right?"

"Harry, did you ever take geography?"

"Oh, so these are states!"

"Yes, Harry, you pick a state and it transports you to the normal Floo system in that state. Now….which one to pick."

Harry leaned on the mantel, trying to stifle a yawn as he felt the effects of staying up after midnight after a hard day of flying…sort of flying…all right, more like crashing. He pushed his glasses up on his forehead and rubbed his eyes with his left hand, his right was occupied with both his and Draco's bag. "Draco…what are you looking for?"

"Maine…let's see…over here Harry!"

"I'm coming…" Harry half carried and half dragged the bags over, wondering if he really should have packed his potions book…but if Severus found them…then at least he wouldn't kill him for not studying. "Draco, why Maine?"

"Because the ocean is next to Maine. Cassie once told me that when she grew up she wanted to go to Maine, because even when I was in school at Hogwarts if she stood by the ocean she'd be able to see me. And if we both looked at the same time we could talk to each other. So, we'll go to Maine. We went to this little town called Ogunquit once. Mom and Dad hated it, probably because Cassie loved it. That's the first place we'll check."

**(After Arrival...oh, about an hour or so later...)**

Harry hated the Floo…in fact the only thing he hated more than the Floo was Voldemort…of course, both of them did make him want to throw up afterwards. When Draco saw Harry's queasy look he stole his bag back from him and made him sit on the hearth ledge until he didn't look like he was going to throw up. "Come on. I made reservations at a wizard cottage while you were packing. We'll stay there and go looking tomorrow…Have you ever been to the beach before? No one should be on it now…I mean, it is two in the morning…Come on, I'll show you."

The stars were clear, and the tide was out. Harry had dropped his bag and was running through the sand in his bare feet, every once and awhile, splashing into the cold water, only to jump out seconds later. "It smells…so…clean…I mean its…"

"Ahh…the sea is a wild virgin that many men have tried to tame, only to find she has as many moods as creatures in her depths. She is pure, and she never hides her emotions, but will always show them openly. Harry, look, up there, Orion…" Harry followed Draco's line of vision to see the belt and scabbard of a man who appeared to be holding a bow and arrow. "And over there is Sirius, his guard dog."

"Really?"

"Well, I don't know about the guard dog part, but Sirius is the dog star…do you pay attention in Astronomy?"

"No, to tell you the truth, I usually fall asleep…but here, if we had the class by the ocean…I think I could name stars forever." He began to spin around, his arms out wide as he watched the stars being sucked into the twirling vertex he was creating by going faster. A second later he had tripped over an offending shell and landed on the sand, only so smile and scoop it up and watch the white grains run through his fingers. "Let's make Uncle Severus come out here. Just think of how happy he'd be and…"

"It's different during the day. Lots of snot nosed brats running around in sunscreen…"

"Then we'll make him come at night!"

"Come on, Harry. It's almost three. I want to get up at dawn, and I figure that you may want some sleep tonight."

"Oh…fine." He ran one last time to splash in the icy water, and exclaiming much as a five-year-old would at its coldest ran up the beach collecting sand on his feet back to where he had dropped his bag and shoes. "Hey, Draco…" He paused, trying to brush the sticky wet sand from his feet so he could put on his shoes. "It's almost eight back home…Uncle Severus is gonna be getting up soon…You think he'll know where we went?"

"Harry, he has fifty states to chose from…He has a 2 percent chance of finding us…it's not very likely."

"Okay, let's go to that cottage place."

**(The Next Morning)**

Harry woke to the smell of his own dirty socks being wafted back and forth in front of his nose. "Wakey wakey…"

"Draco what is that…" Harry opened his eyes to see his socks floating right above his face and Draco's head peering around the corner of his room. "Draco!" He was up in an instant and chasing Draco out of the bedroom that they had shared and into the kitchen.

"Hey…is this anyway to treat the man who made breakfast!" Draco yelped, diving under the kitchen table and popping out the other side to take off behind the couch.

"You made breakfast? What is it?" As with most teenage boys, Harry's stomach began to rule his mind.

Draco peered out from behind the forest green couch. "Well…actually…I walked down the street and bought a couple éclairs for you…and I ate this lemon tart thingy on the way back…It was rather good…so I got another one and ate that too…"

At this point, Harry had long tuned out to dive upon the box sitting on the table that held the chocolate and coffee éclairs that signaled breakfast. Draco figured he was safe and quickly uncharmed the sock that was currently floating behind Harry's head. As he watched it fall to the ground he was rather glad he hadn't used Harry's dirty boxers to wake him up with…he doubted even éclairs could have stopped Harry then. And that would have been bad for Draco's hair. Very Bad.

**(Four hours previously in a school called Hogwarts…about 8 a.m.)**

"Harry, Draco! Boys, I know that you don't have classes for another hour today, but I think you should go eat breakfast…Boys!" Snape's brow furrowed when he heard no response from either room. "Boys!" He tapped his foot impatiently, and hearing no response swept to Harry's room much like an overgrown bat. "Harry! Open this door immediately!" He turned the handle and the door slid open smoothly. Harry's bed was made, a habit that Harry did have, but his schoolbooks and bag were missing. "Next time I'll make sure he understands to inform me before leaving for class…he must have slipped by when I was in the shower." He moved to Draco's room to find the same thing had happened there. Sighing, he made his way to his first period class.

**(After the Mysterious Disappearence of the Eclairs)**

Harry was in a much better mood and seemed to have forgotten all about the sock incident. Draco was carrying his school bag, but he had left his textbooks in the cottage. All that was currently in it was the photograph, the doll, and some American Muggle money that he had exchange for at the Floo shop. Harry was jabbering about something that Draco was only half listening to, something about how wonderful the ocean was, and he couldn't wait to go again, and why were there guys holding hands, was that some American tradition? And did they have to hold hands too? "Look Draco, pretty rainbow flags…can I have one?"

Draco thought back quickly and quickly said no, realizing that the conversation had been headed this way for some time, and he should have stopped Harry sooner. And then he explained to Harry the symbolism behind the rainbow flags. That was when Harry moved a good foot away from Draco and kept his hands in his pockets.

Draco, meanwhile, was scanning the faces of people as they walked up the street and past the historic looking houses and cozy looking cottages. He stopped a young woman, who looked like she'd be his sister's age, but blonde, not a brunette, and asked if she had seen the girl in the picture. "Funny, Mr. Malfoy. I know a girl that looks just like her, well, just about everybody does, know her that is. But her name's not Cassandra. It's Elizabeth…well, she goes by Lizzy around here."

"Could you tell me where she lives, Miss? I'd really appreciate it."

"Take a right and then a left. The third cottage down right by the ocean. She lives there alone. Well, she has a funny hawk that hangs around, but other than that, she lives there alone."

"Thank you so much."

"Why, it's no problem. You're not from around here…and," she looked at Harry. "You aren't pushy about your ways like some of the tourists are. Anyways, you come back if you have another problem. Remember, right, the left, third cottage on the right."

"Thank you, again. Come on Harry."

**(Fifteen minutes into first period at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry)**

"Severus!"

"Minerva, is there a reason that you are interrupting my potions class? If not, I suggest you leave." The second years attempted not to snicker at one teacher being rebuked by another.

"Severus. Can you explain to me why Potter and Malfoy are not attending my class and are not in the hospital wing, and I can't find them? They are your responsibility."

"Minerva, they have not left this school. They have their schoolbags and textbooks and…Oh no…they…Minerva, watch my class…when I get my hands on them…."

"But Sev…" Before she could protest that she had her own class to attend to he had disappeared in a cloud of billowing robes.

_A/N: That's all for now folks, I've got to go. Lots of stupid AP summer assignments. Great fun those are…in fact…any flames I get will be used to burn them after I turn them in. Have a great day, and don't get too bored over summer break._

_P.S.: R/R please!_


	12. Lost in Space

A/N: I'm back, even though I only got one review last chapter, thank you angelkitty77 for that, and I'm off to finish this chapter. So, remember, the story isn't mine, and I really don't want to take over the world…or at least not right now. Oh, and the poem is mine, I made it up myself. If you'd like to read the rest visit My pen name is Ocean Born Mary.

**Saving Grace**

**Chapter 12**

Severus Snape swept down the hallway like an overgrown bat, but right now he was not very characteristic of one. Instead, he looked like a very large steam engine about to blow its whistle at the poor dear caught in the middle of his tracks. In this case, the students that were in the halls, as well as the Professors, made haste to move from his path of trajectory, afraid of being flattened into the stone floor. He headed straight for the unsuspecting gargoyle, which, as soon as it saw him, leapt from Snape's path, revealing the staircase, which Snape ran up, ignoring the fact that it could move on its own. "Headmaster!" The office was empty. A note was left on the desk which read, 'Went to Hogsmede for more lemon drops, will be back by lunch. Albus Dumbledore.' "Damn the man and his lemon fetish," muttered Snape. Pulling a sugar quill from the canister on the Headmaster's desk and reaching across for the purple ink that the Headmaster was currently using, he added on to the bottom of the note. 'Taking leave, family business. Will contact later. Severus Snape.' And with that, he took off once again towards the dungeon, not even apologizing to Trelawney as he shoved her into a suite of armor, which, causing a domino affect, landed the first year standing at the end of the hallway into the hospital wing.

**(Right, Left….third house)**

The picket fence was white and connected to a gate that was currently open, welcoming in the weary stranger who walked by looking for companionship. Flowers in yellows and purples lined a stone walkway, baskets of them hung from the porch roof, and the grass in the lawn was green. The house itself was a pale yellow, the shutters painted white and thrown open to let in the cool ocean breeze that brought with it the tangy smell of salt water, and purple wisteria climbed up the drain pipe to drape in front of the house. In a few years it would most likely dominate the front. There were two windows on either side of the white door, each held a screen to keep the local wildlife out. A large tree was in the front right of the lawn, and a tire swing fell from one of the larger branches. Draco had stopped, leaning on the white fence, staring at the house. He scanned the yard and noticed the hawk in the tree, this had to be the right house. "Draco? What's wrong? Let's go and knock."

Draco sighed and dropped his head into the crook of his arm, watching a beetle climb up the white paint. "I…I don't know if I want to knock, Harry. I don't know."

"Why? We've come all this way, and now that we saw your sister's house you want to go back? Draco?"

Draco's vision of the beetle blurred, and he felt something wet falling down his face. He became very glad that Harry couldn't see his face from here. "Harry…I, I thought she was dead…"

"And she's alive! Merlin Draco! If I found out that my parents were alive I wouldn't hesitate! I would go and find them! At least then I'd know."

"Know what?" asked Draco, his voice sounded funny to him.

"Whether they cared, why they didn't come for me, what parts of me are like them, did the love me…At least I'd know whether or not they cared. And even if they didn't…even if your sister doesn't, Draco, you'll still have me." Harry moved towards Draco's slumped body and wrapped his arms around him in a hug, which Draco turned to meet, wrapping his arms around Harry as tears fell, hanging on for dear life. "You'll always have me."

**(Hogwarts…Dungeons)**

"Where would they go…Where would they…" Snape was pacing across Draco's room, looking for some hint of where the boys would have gone to look for Cassie. There was no note, nothing to hint at where they had disappeared to. Their books were gone, their cloaks, and a variety of Muggle clothes, as if they had been planning on visiting more than non-magical place, considering that none of their robes were gone, though they both had taken their wands with them. He moved to the desk and began rifling through papers until he found a black leather book, with a silver embossed D. M. Draco's diary.

_6/27_

_Mum was mad again today. She knows I don't want to take the Mark. She blames it all on school, said she should have sent me to Durmstrang as my father wished._

_6/30_

_Father's at it again…_

Snape winced, he had gone through his Father being 'At it again' a few times. Carefully he flipped the pages until he reached the last entry. It was undated, and he had a feeling that Draco had been using the page for something other than a diary entry. In Draco's neat, precise, handwriting, Snape recognized a list of the fifty states in America. Sitting down on the green bedspread, he scanned down, seeing that each had a number to the left of it. The one with the number one was circled, Maine. Ahh…so that's where they were right now.

**(In front of the gate)**

It had only taken a few seconds for Draco to compose himself; he had become an expert of not showing emotion over the years. Showing emotion was not safe, showing emotion would get you hurt. That was all that showing emotion is good for. Harry loosened his hold on Draco at the same time that Draco did the same, and both turned together to face the small cottage. Grinning, Harry bowed low, sweeping his fingertips against the ground. "After you, milord." Smiling, Draco took a deep breath and took a step through the gate, and then another, and then another. It seemed to take an eternity to make it to the porch steps, and with Harry right behind them, he slowly mounted them, stepping lightly on the creaking wood, partially hoping that the woman who owned the house wouldn't be home, or if she was, that it all would be a mistake.

Harry waited patiently until Draco steeled himself to knock on the door, and waiting two seconds, tried to dash away with a "No one's home", but was interrupted by a young woman's voice calling, "I'm in the back!". The accent was a decidedly British, but Draco convinced himself all the way around the house that it was just a coincidence. But when he looked at the thin back of the woman with her hair pulled up behind a large garden hat pulling weeds, he knew that it was no coincidence, and when she turned to address him and he saw the familiar grey eyes and the spattering of freckles across her nose, currently joined by a smudge of dirt, even though they were shaded by her hat, his heart seemed to catch in his throat and he was unable to speak. "Are you boys looking for something? Young man," she addressed Draco, "Is something wrong?" She pulled off her gloves and stood, her long flowered skirt pooling at her ankles.

"Yes…" he said, "and no. Everything is going to be fine now…I think everything is going to be fine…May we…talk to you inside?"

"Of course. My name's Elizabeth, but everyone calls me Lizzy, and you are?"

"I'm Harry, and this is Draco, and…we have a lot to talk about."

**(Floo Station)**

"You're sure you saw two teenage boys, about yay high, one with black hair, the other with blonde?"

"Yes, Mr. Snape. And may I ask that if you see either of the two of them you pass this phone number onto them?"

"You certainly may not! Teenagers these days!" With that Snape walked towards the Maine fireplace, muttering about the indecency of today's generation.

**(Elizabeth's House**)

"Would you boys like anything to drink? Lemonade? Tea?"

"Tea would be nice, thank you," called Harry, watching Draco's face from the chair he sat in. He couldn't quite tell what was going through the other boy's mind, and he wasn't sure in he wanted to know. Since Draco didn't look like having any sort of conversation, Harry decided to pick it up as soon as she walked back into the room, instead of a pair of gloves she was holding a tea tray, and her hair was about halfway down her back and a very deep brown. Scanning the room Harry looked for something to start a conversation about. "That's a very nice owl, where did you get it?"

"Oh, I've had Peanuts since before I could remember. Not that that matters. One lump of sugar or two?"

"Since before you can remember?" asked Draco. "Have you always been called Elizabeth?"

"The woman at the orphanage said that was my…You have no reason you need to know these things, why are you here? And if you're here to try to make me remember what I've tried to forget these past few years, than you may leave. You have no reason to but into my personal life."

Harry felt that Draco was all ready treading on thin ice, but then he pulled out two things that Harry had never seen before. One was a ragged old, hand-sown doll, the other was a crumpled black and white Muggle photograph. "I'm sorry, but do you recognize the person in this picture?"

"How…how did you get this?" she whispered, taking it in her hand. "Did…did my ex-boyfriend tell you to do this! Did he! How did you get this picture of me?" Her hands were trembling, the photo fell to the floor, and she set down her tea, afraid of breaking the delicate china. "Never mind…just…leave! Now! I never want to…"

"Wait!" cried Draco. "Tell me if you remember this," he held out the worn doll. "If you don't, we'll leave, and we'll never come back. I swear it." The woman looked at him suspiciously, Harry could see her eyes held unshed tears. Slowly, she reached out and took the doll in her shaking hands, and with gentle fingers, she brushed back the pink bonnet to reveal the yellow locks of yarn, her nail traced over the worn lips and smoothed the wrinkled dress. "I'm sorry," she said handing the doll back. "I don't know what you want, but I don't know this doll. And I don't know how you got my picture, but I'd appreciate it if you left. You've brought up enough bad memories all ready."

"We're sorry," said Draco quietly. "We'll take our leave." He and Harry stood, but as Draco bent down to retrieve his lost picture, he began to hum. Harry noticed the woman look up, startled, from her hands, which she had been intently studying a moment before.

"What is that?"

"What is what?" asked Draco, straightening.

"That song?"

"Oh, that…something my sister used to sing to me when I was little. She made it up for me. Would you like to hear it?"

The woman half nodded, which Draco took as acquiescence.

"The walls close in,

The sky turns grey,

Guess you can never win

It's just another darkened ray.

A child cries

A baby screams

A flower dies

A life of broken dreams

Broken Halo

Damaged Wings…"

Harry saw the woman mouthing words, the words to the song. "Stop! Stop singing." She looked up at Draco and picked up elsewhere in the song.

"Do not worry,

I'm on my way,

I'll try to hurry,

And meet you here today."

Together they whispered the chorus, and Harry sat back in the chair, watching as Draco reached for the woman's hand.

"Broken Halo

Damaged Wings

And a voice that cannot sing

Came from heaven

Don't look now

Another angel is falling down."

Harry moved to the kitchen, knowing he was witnessing a very private moment between abrother and sister, one he'd never be able to have himself, but before he disappeared into the kitchen, he heard her say. "Who are you? No…who am I?"

"It doesn't matter," whispered Draco. "As long as you're still my sister."


	13. 13, An Unlucky Number

A/N: Hey guys, sorry it's been awhile since I last updated. Kinda had a lot to do lately, plus I've been reading more than writing…but, since the next book is coming out soon I think I owe you all something…Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, I really appreciate it.

Disclaimer: Umm…right, if you haven't been able to figure out that I don't own Harry Potter…then…well…maybe you should go do something else…like calisthenics for your brain or something…

Saving Grace 

**Chapter 13 (oh…how unlucky…hee-hee)**

Severus Snape fixed the teenage girl with his own patent glare. She had platinum blonde hair, three holes in her ears, one in her nose, and another in her stomach which was hanging out over her jeans, that he was convinced were painted on. He decidedly ignored the two sizes too small hot pink spaghetti strap and thanked Merlin that Hogwarts had uniforms. "Let me say this again," he hissed. "I don't think that it's that hard of a concept. Did you see two teenage boys sometime last night go through one of these floos?"

Her only response was to smack her gum loudly and chew it in fashion that reminded Severus of an obese cow. He brought his had down threateningly on the counter, causing a large smack to reverberate through the room. Her penciled eyebrows rose in surprise as she almost choked on the large wad of gum. "I wasn't on duty last night, he was." Severus rolled his eyes and bit back a smart retort on if she had told him that five minutes ago, they wouldn't still be standing here.

"Thank you," he ground out the words, forcing himself to be polite and ignore the dumb habits of American teenagers…no, make that teenagers in general. She just shrugged in response, her orangish tan shrugging with her. Severus silently prayed that the man over there wasn't going to be such a big pain in his side. He moved swiftly, looking rather silly with a rain coat instead of his robes billowing behind him, swearing to himself that he was going to put a very painful tracking device on the two teenage boys once he found them.

**(Back at Eliz…Cassie's house)**

"There's so much I've missed isn't there…I…I think you should know, Draco, right? Well, I don't remember much before…well, I don't know, since the orphanage I guess. Just a few things. Voices…and a bright red light. But that's about it." She moved across the room to close the window, and was startled as a hawk flew through just before she snapped the shutters shut. "What…how did…"

_Draco, you must leave here._

"Umm…Draco, did I just hear that thing talk?"

"Hush Harry. I told you it could talk."

"What's going on…"

"Elizabeth, I don't think you want to know what your brother is doing."

"Both of you, be quiet. Now, Hawk, why are we supposed to leave? Is Sev coming?"

_Yes, but his coming is not of concern or consequence._

"Then what is?"

"Draco, what the hell is going on here?"

"I'll tell you later, I promise. But I think we have to leave…Is there anything you want to take with you? I'd get it now."

"Draco, I want answers," insisted his sister.

_He's coming. You must hurry. You do not have much time. In fact, you may have none at all._

**(Sevvy)**

"WILL SOMEONE HERE PLEASE TELL ME WHICH FLOO TWO TEENAGE BOYS FROM ENGLAND USED LAST NIGHT?"

Everyone in the room stopped and turned to regard the insane wizard from out of town. The man, who Severus had just questioned, and who had pretended to be deaf, Severus was sure of that, had caused the Professor much consternation, and now conveniently pointed to the floo labeled 'Oguquit'. As Severus was stalking to the unsuspecting fireplace he heard the man say, "Smile, your on Tork of the Tourists, the hit new show…" Severus sent a curse over his shoulder at the man and stepped through the fireplace, feeling much more satisfied with himself then he had five minutes before.

**(Back with the bird)**

They didn't bother with knocking…no they just blew the door right off its hinges. Masked men filled the room, and Draco swore he recognized his father behind the mask, and his mother next to him. Harry had pulled out his wand and he was swiveling around in circles, trying to point it at all the Death Eaters at once. Draco had reached for his, and realized it was pointless, and was trying to motion for Harry to place his down, to put it away, not to instigate them…

His newly found sister on the other hand was having a fit. "I just repainted that door and you went and SPLIT IT DOWN THE MIDDLE! And you're trampling mud all over my carpet! What is this, Halloween, only children can go trick or treating and…"

The group of Death Eaters parted to reveal the tall, thin figure and the glowing red eyes. "I figured I should look over this operation myself Potter, I knew the second you left the school's protection…and look, Malfoy, your brat, it's two for the price of one…and a Muggle…"

"Who are you, and why are you wearing a dress, and why are you making my house…"

"Shut up, Muggle."

Voldemort was rather surprised when he got hit on the side of the head with a flying hot-pink high heel. "Is that supposed to hurt me, Potter? I swear you could do better than that."

"If it had been me, it wouldn't have been one shoe kicking you out the door, and it wouldn't have been that one. It would have been mine, Tom. I'd have kicked you out the door."

"Brave words from someone who got himself beat up by a Muggle this summer. Yes, Potter, your dear Dursley sung like a nightingale to get me to stop pointing my wand at him. I didn't even have to do anything. But, back to the matter at hand. If you didn't do it…and Malfoy doesn't have a wand out…you…are you a Muggle?"

"A what! How would I know. First you come bursting in like a monkey, and then you start demanding…"

"A monkey. Interesting comparison," said Harry. "I thought he looked more like a reptile myself…but…well, I can see it…"

"Excuse me?" asked Voldemort, glaring at him.

Looking up from his spot on the ground, Draco saw Harry's look, telling him to bait him. "Oh, did you fart? Well, you're not excused." The pale cheeks flamed red, and Draco ignored his sister's confused look. That's when he noticed a familiar unmasked face behind the crowd of Death Eaters that winked at him, and Draco understood why Harry had seemed so desperate. They were the distraction.

"Draco, while you are in my household, and as your sister, I will not condone that sort of talk!"

"Your…" Voldemort turned from the blonde boy to his father. "MALFOY!"

And that's when Snape struck.

GTG, my mom's yelling. Love you guys and love reviews just as much  ! Sorry it was so short.


	14. To Be In Harry's Pants

A/N: Umm…oopps…hehe…So guys, long time no update, huh? Umm…guys…guys…

put down the arrow…and the bow…and the sword….and the machine gun…That's right…down…And while you're at it, thank HPFan for getting me to update…that's right, head over that away…phew…AHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah, blah…oh, someone's actually reading this? Like who…Oh, well then, if _you're_ reading it…Don't own Harry…or…or Draco…but Sev…I mean, I don't own any Harry Potter characters, settings, etc…though I do own some…merchandise…My hand's itchy, just in case you were wondering…

**Chapter 14**

**(I can't think of anything creative to put here.)**

**(Last Chapter…which was 13).**

And that's when Snape struck. (A rather nice middle C chord followed by a…joking, joking, don't get your knickers in a knot now…)

**(Presently)**

Snape flung himself forward, using his entire body-weight to spring from the floor, hitting the rather surprised Dark Lord around the middle, and sending Voldemort's wand skittering across the floor and under a closed doorway. Both men toppled to the ground, first managing to hit Elizabeth's coffee table, successfully splitting that down the middle as well, so it matched the door. As Elizabeth began screaming about the tea set that they had sent flying across the room, and the expensive china that had just been shattered, Severus Snape imagined that the man pinned under him was some hybrid mix between James Potter and Sirius Black and began pummeling the Dark Lord for all he was worth. The Death Eaters had moved in, wands at the ready, but afraid to strike for fear of hitting their precious Lord.

"THAT WAS EXPENSIVE!" Snape grasped a crystal figurine on the floor and began bashing the Dark Lord's head with it. "THAT WAS FROM MY FIRST BOYFRIEND…NEVERMIND, BREAK IT!"

Draco and Harry watched with awe, as Snape tried to smash the Dark Lord like he was a bug, and winced slightly as said Dark Lord bellowed with pain when the crystal unicorn smashed into his snake-like nose, the horn getting stuck up it and snapping, left lodged up Voldemort's left nostril. _Draco, this isn't a Monty Python movie, move!_ Draco turned to pull Elizabeth out of the fray when he was stopped by a grip on his arm.

"Draco?" whispered the masked figure.

"Mother." His voice was emotionless. They had abandoned him. They had abandoned Elizabeth. They deserved too…but they could have killed Elizabeth, they should have killed him…no…they had abandoned…

"Draco, oh my baby boy, tell me you're safe."

Draco's brow knitted hard in confusion. They had abandoned, left behind, they didn't love him or his sister. They were incapable of the emotion…Hate, Fear, Desire, Greed, Jealousy, but not…

"I love you Draco, I didn't want too, but your father…"

Lies. Lies. Incapable. Lies. Abandoned.

"If you begged forgiveness…"

There was the punch line. If he groveled in front of the Dark Lord, if he abandoned those who loved him, if he made his life a lie…

"Please, Draco, I love you, I don't want you to have to be punished, like your sister…"

Punished…punished…you punish a child by taking away dinner, not their life, not everything they loved and cared for. By doing what his mother willed…that would be punishment, they'd take away everything, and when you thought they were done, they'd take away more…Starting to panic slightly, he tried to look past his mother's eyes, to find Harry's, his sister's, anyone…but Harry was hexing the Death Eaters, he hadn't noticed where Draco was yet…and his sister…she was turning ten shades of red and probably five of purple when Severus started beating the Dark Lord with a book.

"I love you, I won't punish you Draco."

Lies. "You've all ready punished me…You took away the one person who loved me when I was little, Cassie, and then, you kept taking, you never stopped…

You don't love me. You never will love me. You are incapable of love. You are no more than an empty soulless creature, something that even the Dementors would avoid. And you would punish me still, by taking away those who love me. Unhand me, woman, you are no mother of mine. I have no mother."

Narcissa Malfoy was so taken aback that Draco managed to jerk away and join the fray, taking out the few distracted Death Eaters that Harry had left behind. "Elizabeth, hush, we have to leave, now!"

"But, my, my house…"

"It isn't safe, we don't have time, I promise, we'll come back later, until then, we'll get you the things you need, but we have to go!"

"No, no, I…"

"Please! Elizabeth, if you want to live, please! Don't leave me again!" She nodded and he sighed in relief as he turned to see Harry pulling an almost hysterical Snape off of the enraged, and slightly worse for the wear, Dark Lord.

"Severus, we have to go! Please! Severus, Sev!" Whatever had possessed Snape suddenly fled him, and he stopped, realized what he had done, and staggered to his feet, where he stood, shaking, over the prone body of the Dark Lord, who's wand was still no where in sight. He suddenly looked very ill, and Harry grabbed his arm, pulling him away from Voldemort, not looking back, trusting that Snape had beat him up badly enough that he wouldn't try to follow, but Harry wasn't counting on Narcissa Malfoy's wand in his face.

Draco was standing by Elizabeth, they had gather the doll and picture, and when he turned, he saw Harry at the end of his, now disowned, mother's wand. Severus was beside the green-eyed teenager, but looked like he was going to pass out any minute…his knuckles were bloody, the delicate hands bruised, and his face was cut from shards of shattered glass, a few which seemed to still be lodged, still, he didn't seem too seriously injured…Draco wondered if he broke a rib when he hit the coffee table. Narcissa was looking at Harry with murder in her eyes, and Draco stepped forward to stop her, but was floored when he heard her speak.

"You…you took him away from me…You took my baby boy…" Her wand was shaking, pointed somewhere between Harry's eyes, but Harry wasn't watching her wand, but the single tear making a path down her cheek. "He hates me, because of you…you loved him…and he hates me…I could kill you for that, YOU STOLE HIM!" Her entire body shook now. "But…he loves you…"

"Narcissa…" hissed Voldemort. "Detain the boy…"

"You gave him what…what I couldn't…I could, I could kill you, Merlin knows I want too…but he loves you…and you made him happy," that tear was slowly curving over her cheek, making way towards her trembling mouth. "So, I can't…I'll show him I love him…by not killing you." She crumbled to the ground, next to her discarded mask, as sobs wracked her body.

Voldemort hissed again, cursing and telling her of her punishment to come, but Draco stepped forward, and bending down to the floor did something he couldn't remember doing in his lifetime. He kissed his mother. And slowly, he rose, helping Harry steady Snape, and motioning for Elizabeth to follow him out the broken front door, and through the gate, thinking all the time of his mother's single tear, that had been matched by his own.

**(A little bit later)**

They had stopped at the hotel long enough to pick up their things and bandage up Snape's knuckles. He managed to get the glass out himself, and when Draco asked about his ribs, he got a glare in return before Snape decided to admit that the coffee table had gotten the best of him, and that Mme. Pompfrey was probably in for a surprise. Elizabeth spent the entire time looking out the window at the ocean, every once and awhile fingering the photograph and stroking the worn doll. Draco had come up behind her at one point when she had turned the photo over. In her own handwriting was a short message. _To the best little brother in the world, I love you forever, Cassie. _"Cassie, huh?"

"It was short for Cassandra…you hated that name…So, I called you Cassie when no one was around…" It was then that Harry called for help with the luggage, and he left her with her chair and the waves of the ocean out her window.

**(Back at that Floo Place)**

That teenager with the platinum blonde hair and the fake, spotted, orange tan was still working when they finally made it. Severus looked like he wanted to cry when she started her gum cracking, as he 'kindly' asked where the International Floo was. Instead, she ignored him, and started flirting with the Boy-Who-Lived, who became the Boy-Who-Turned-Bright-Red, when Severus raised one elegant eyebrow and Draco began to snicker behind his hand. "You know," her gum snapped again, and one of her penciled eyebrows raised suggestively, "you look a lot like that Harry Potter kid, the famous one."

"R..really?" stuttered Harry, playing slightly with his glasses, as his left foot rubbed at the back of his pants.

"Yeah…he's just so hot. I was telling my best friend the other day, to be that girl…Herwhatsit…man, well, I'd be in his pants every day…" Her gum snapped again to accentuate this point.

"I need to go to the bathroom…" muttered Harry, taking off down one of the hallways as Elizabeth rolled her eyes at the laughing Draco.

"I'd like to say, the next time you start flirting, I'd be less subtle…considering you were just speaking to Harry Potter," said Severus, trying his best to keep a straight face. Ahh…revenge was sweet. She blushed an entire rainbow of colors and then some, and, mumbling, pointed the way to the International Floo. It took another ten minutes, of course, for Draco to convince Harry to come out of the bathroom, trying to reassure him that the teenage girl behind the desk wasn't going to try to rape him anytime soon, that that Severus had straightened the matter out…in fact, she probably would never use that tactic again.

They managed to make it to London without mishap, for which Severus was quite pleased, but Harry and Draco both insisted that they stop for lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, and maybe take Elizabeth on a tour of Diagon Alley…after she was done throwing up in the Ladies' Room from her first Floo trip, that she could remember, that was.

"What can I get you?" asked Tom.

"The usual," said Snape, and then quickly added, "minus the Firewhiskey."

Harry snorted at Snape, and covered it up by adding his order…of pancakes. "What, I'm in the mood for breakfast. It's not that big of a deal, is it?"

Draco sighed, and settled on the same thing. Elizabeth scanned the menu and said, "How's the pea sou…"

"Don't!" said Harry. "It might bite…"

Confused, she decided to be safe and get the pancakes too.

Dinner was rather quiet. Severus Snape valued silence, and the boys knew this well enough by now to let him go as he read the Evening Prophet. Elizabeth was staring at the moving pictures, and once poked at the picture of the portly Minister on the front, earning a glare from Snape at being distracted as the page in front of him rattle. "Why do they move?"

"Magic," said Snape tiredly. His ribs ached, his knuckles were raw and sore, and he knew he must look ridiculous with a myriad of little nicks and scratches on his face.

"Obviously, I meant how?"

"A potion."

"What kind?"

"The kind that tastes awful if you drink it."

Elizabeth pulled a face at him, but he couldn't see it behind his paper. "So what do you do?"

"Teach annoying brats."

"What do you teach?"

"Potions."

"Like, Double, Double, Toil, and Trouble…"

"No. And contrary to popular belief, this isn't a mask hiding my green face and warty nose. Now, please, let me read."

Draco and Harry grinned at one another as he snapped.

"So, who's that guy you went crazy on and nearly beat to death?"

"It's too long to explain, and I did not go crazy."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too…maybe you're bipolar."

"And maybe you're annoying."

"No, maybe I'm a little confused and would appreciate an explanation as to why you tore me away from my home, and who that guy was you beat to a pulp, and why we have to run and hide, and why the pictures move, and why the pea soup bites, and why you're so cranky!"

Harry snorted again, and was on the receiving end of a glare from two obsidian eyes over the picture of the portly Minister, who was currently waving after striking a pose. And so, Severus was forced to explain the Dark Lord to the girl who couldn't remember him, and about the time before the Boy-Who-Lived, and how Harry was supposed to be the Savior of the Wizarding world. It was obvious by the look he was receiving that she thought it was a load of garbage. "You seriously expect me to believe that?"

"Yeah, you should have seen me when I found out," muttered Harry.

"I wish I could've," whispered Draco. "It would have been funny to watch you make that face."

"What face?"

"You know, that surprised face you make, it is rather funny, but then you make that determined look that kinda makes you look constip…"

"That's enough, boys."

"Sorry Uncle Sev!" they chorused.

"Does it really," asked Harry, as soon as Sev was occupied with Elizabeth.

"Yeah, I even heard Weasley say it to Granger once."

"Wait until I…Sorry, Uncle Sev, was I interrupting?"

The patent glare shut him up, and he shoveled the rest of his pancakes into his mouth while simultaneously saying, "Well, I'm done." Which came out with a few more h sounds and a little bit of spit, which managed to hit Draco, who bopped Harry over the head with Snape's discarded newspaper. Harry just grinned cheekily, and turning to Snape said, "Maybe we should just skip Diagon Alley for tonight, and go home. I'm sure the Headmaster is wondering where we all are."

"The Headmaster!" cried Snape, jumping up. "I forgot. I left him a note and said I'd be in touch. We'd better go."

**(Headmaster's Office)**

"You're late."

"I'm sorry, Albus…"

"Good evening, Harry, Draco, and…"

Draco who had been watching Fawkes warily, as if he was going to start talking like the hawk to, snapped to attention, responding, "This is Eliz…"

"I'm Cassandra Malfoy. Draco's sister."

_**And I'm done for tonight. It's midnight, and the Matrix is on…whoopee!**_

_**Love you guys, R/R.**_


	15. Keeping Promises

A/N: Hey guys…So, I had 48 hits since last night and no reviews…that makes me sad, but I figure you're all mad at me for not update for what…six months? So, up up and away…

Disclaimer: Out of curiosity, if you read the disclaimer, leave it in your review…because for some reason I'm stating to doubt that anyone does…but just in case…YESIDORULETHEWORLD! Just not the HP universe…

**Chapter 15**

**(Once again lacking that creative witty statement for right here).**

**(Insert your own).**

**(Last Chapter)**

"You're late."

"I'm sorry, Albus…"

"Good evening, Harry, Draco, and…"

Draco who had been watching Fawkes warily, as if he was going to start talking like the hawk to, snapped to attention, responding, "This is Eliz…"

"I'm Cassandra Malfoy. Draco's sister."

**(Now, On with Chapter 15)**

The scribble on the side of his parchment looked more like a squashed bug than the back of Draco's head, but Harry was tired of listening to Goblin Wars part five million, and he vaguely wondered if the Goblins even managed to keep all their wars straight. Grinning, Harry added two antennae to the picture in the margin, two eyes and a big clown nose…yup, much better. Carefully he labeled the picture _Rita Skeeter pretending to be Draco Malfoy._ He glanced over to make sure Hermione was taking detailed notes that he could copy later, and turned to see Ron making connect-the-dots pictures on the desk…no wait, that was a heart with an arrow through it with the letters R and H. Harry's grin grew with the thought of stealing the parchment and blowing it up all over the Common Room.

Binns was still droning on, and adding a mustache to his masterpiece, Harry thought about the Headmaster's reaction to Cassie's statement. In fact, he had been hard pressed not to laugh when Dumbledore had nodded as if he had known that all along and offered the already overwhelmed girl a Lemon Drop. Just like Dumbledore. Snape had been sent off to Mme. Pompfrey, who had reveled over the fact of causing discomfort to the evil Potions Master, and had spent her good old time tightening the wrappings around his rib, grinning every time he flinched. Harry had managed to get detention for using magic outside of school, which Draco had found funny, until they both got one for truancy. Cassandra had been given her own rooms, and healers from St. Mungo's were working on finding a way to retrieve her Obliterated memories. She had shown on a few occasions that she remembered some things, and they were hoping that maybe her memories would return eventually on their own if given the right triggers. So Draco had spent the past week, when he wasn't in detention, with his sister, oftentimes not even showing up for meals. He had extended an invitation for Harry to join them, but Harry knew that if he found that someone in his family was alive and willing to love him, that he wouldn't want to share that with anyone, not for awhile at least.

So Harry had spent the week bonding with Hermione and Ron, but he was starting to feel like a third wheel there to, which was why when History of Magic ended he avoided all three of them and headed straight for the library, determined to finish his Potions essay before it was due. He was interrupted an hour later by the youngest Creevy brother, who said that the Headmaster wanted him in his office, so Harry packed up his bag, wiping his ink-stained fingers on his robes, and headed for the gargoyle. A little dejected over the fact that none of his friends had gone looking for him in the library, Harry muttered the newest password, "Moldyworts got beat by a crystal unicorn," and waited for the moving stairs to take him up.

Albus Dumbledore was waiting for Harry outside of his office. "Ahh, Harry? How are you my boy, detention going well?"

"Yes sir, thank you," said Harry, wondering why he had wanted to see him, and why it wasn't really in his office. Harry tried to think of something he had done wrong in the past week that he could have been getting in trouble for, but he couldn't come up with anything, in fact, he had spent most of the week in the library, doing homework.

"I've heard you've become very studious lately."

"Yes, well…"

"Harry, just because your friends are busy doesn't mean they aren't there for you."

"Yes, sir," he began wondering if Dumbledore had decided he needed a pep talk.

"Oh, yes, I called you here for a specific reason. The Order had a raid two nights ago, and they managed to uncover your relatives, whom I'm sure you were very concerned about."

"Thanks for letting me know sir, now, if you could excuse me…" Harry hadn't told Dumbledore the truth yet, and he knew Snape hadn't either. And he didn't want to discuss it now.

"Well, your Uncle seemed rather concerned for you, and asked if he could see you. He's in my office, don't worry, I cast a silencing spell so no one could eavesdrop or anything. So, whenever you'd like to go in…" Dumbledore seemed to be talking to himself, and didn't notice as Harry paled, thinking of his Uncle's promise before he had dropped him off at the station. He wished he had taken Draco up on his offer, Draco would have insisted on going to the Headmaster's office with him…but, no, Draco was busy, and Cassie needed him more than Harry did…Dumbledore opened the office door, gently pushing Harry in, and Harry closed his eyes, hearing the dreaded click behind him, and recalling belatedly that Dumbledore had cast a silencing charm on the door, there was no getting out.

**(Dungeons)**

"Uncle Sev, have you seen Harry lately, I think he's avoiding me…well, not just me, but Granger and Weasel haven't seen him around either."

Snape looked up from the potion he was making. "Now that you mention it, the only time I've seen him was in class. Maybe you should look for him."

**(Headmaster's Office)**

Harry's eyes were still closed, but he could feel Vernon's breath on the back of his neck, warm and moist, and he shuddered as his bag hit the floor with a thud. Fawkes was out, and he hadn't seen Hawk in a week. A large hand clasped his shoulder, squeezing hard, and slowly turning Harry around to face him. Vernon had been drinking, it was in his breath, and Harry shuddered again, feeling Vernon slowly reach up and take off his glasses, knowing full well that Harry hated it when he couldn't see. "I made you a promise, boy. You remember, I made you a promise. That if you told, it would be much worse. Don't you ever think I don't keep a promise, you'll never be able to say that. I was promised an hour alone…" Harry felt something hard pressing against his abdomen, and it sent revulsion through him, he wanted to vomit, but he couldn't, not in front of Vernon, he wouldn't be weak. "Much worse. Now, get undressed."

**Time for me to go, I'm off to see the 4th Harry Potter for the 2nd time.**

**R/R…**

**Oh, and a poll…**

**Slash, or no slash?**


	16. My Brother

A/N: Well, I haven't decided as to slash/no slash, but so far slash is winning by one vote, so all you people, get out there and vote…at least, if I counted right it was one vote. Tomorrow is my last day of school before break, woohoo! Anywho, you probably don't want to hear me ramble…

Disclaimer: I own an Xbox, no not 360, a few cds, lots of books, and of course Harry…Hey guys…how are you today? Sue me…no, I wasn't going to say Harry Potter, I was going to say Harry the kid down the street…as in, I own him at video games? What do you mean you don't believe me….HELP, THEY'VE GOT BRIEFCASES!

**Saving Grace**

**Chapter 16**

**(I like…cereal…)**

Draco had spent the better part of an hour looking for the green-eyed hero. Mme. Pince had seen Harry at the back table of the library, but when Draco finally made it past the last stack of biting books, Harry wasn't anywhere to be found. He wasn't in the Great Hall, or in the kitchens, and when Draco finally brought himself to ask a Gryffindor to see if Harry was in the Common Room, he was thoroughly frustrated with the quick no he got, before the first year scampered back into the safety of the red and gold. Draco sighed and closed his eyes, ready to beat his head against the wall outside if it wasn't for the fact that the Fat Lady was glaring at him suspiciously as if he was going to jump attack her and try to maul her painting. Turning on his heel, he did his best Snape impression at a passing second-year and stalked away. _You won't find him._

_Why not?_

_Because he doesn't want to be found._

_Oh, and I'm sure you know where he is! Stupid bird._

_For your information I do. Stupid human._

_Then where is he?_

_I promised I wouldn't tell._

_Then why…did…STUPID HAWK! _Draco growled loudly, burst into the Great Hall, where he had already checked, and screamed, "HAS ANYONE SEEN HARRY POTTER!"

There was a small squeak beside him…it was…that little Creevy kid… "He…He was in the Headmaster's office…"

Draco took off, not even bothering to thank the kid, not that he would have anyway if he remembered too. By the time he made it to the gargoyle, he was red-faced and fuming. He didn't know if when he found Harry whether he'd hug him or strangle him for disappearing like that. "Moldywartsgotbeatenbyacrystalunicorn!" The gargoyle jumped to life, and Draco didn't even try to think about how the inanimate object had understood the babble. He took the moving stairs two at a time, and when he made it to the top, Draco didn't even attempt knocking before breaking open the door. The sight before him caused him to stop dead in his tracks, though his momentum almost carried him forward and onto his face. The Headmaster was shaking hands with what Draco recognized as one Vernon Dursley, no longer from Jack and the Beanstalk, who was very politely thanking Dumbledore for allowing him to meet with Harry.

Dumbledore turned to Draco, questioningly, mid handshake. "Mr. Malfoy, is there a problem?"

"Merlin…you didn't…SEVERUS!" Draco left behind a stunned Headmaster, and one Vernon Dursley who had recognized the blonde boy the second he laid eyes on him.

"Mr. Malfoy!" called Dumbledore, "THAT'S PROFESSOR SNAPE TO YOU!"

But Draco was already long gone down two flights of stairs, and when the third staircase changed on him, he jumped over the railing, amid screams from the girls of the student population and cheers from the boys, to land on the one right under him, and continue on his flight down the stairs, screaming the Potion Master's name.

_Tell me where he is you stupid bird!_

_I promised!_

_Then give me a hint!_

The conversation was interrupted by the Potions Master stepping out of his classroom and into the hallway, stopping, and silencing Draco, with one sharp look. "Is there a reason you had to interrupt my first year class? And blather my name all over the school?"

"I think Dumbledore left Harry alone with that Dursley…Vermont..no Ver…anyway, something happened, because I can't find him anywhere and Hawk said that she promised to keep it secret and he doesn't want to be found."

"He's in the Shrieking Shack."

"How do you know?"

"It's the only place you don't know how to get to from here. Look, I need to supervise this potion, if you stop the process in the middle, the students will end up in the Hospital Wing, and I'm rather sure Mme. Pompfrey doesn't need anymore work. The Whomping Willow…there's a knot on the tree. Use a long stick, prod it. The tree will freeze. Go."

_Is the Whomping Willow right?_

_Yes…you'd better hurry._

Draco scrambled down the dirt tunnel, hoping he didn't bruise where the tree had gotten one good hit in before he had found a decent sized stick. He heard crashing at the end of the hallway, and pushed forward with more force, worried that Harry was trying to kill himself. He pushed through the old wooden doorway to find total destruction. Most of it was old, layered with dust from years of being in the same position. But some of it, some of it was definitely recent. Every mirror in the room had been smashed laying in fresh shards across the floor, dustless, and some of them glistening with liquid red in the dim light. From up the stairs came the sound of thousands of pieces of glass hitting the floor and shattering, and Draco took the stairs two at a time, and, following the trail of broken mirrors was led to the bathroom. He stopped at the doorway, and the sound of sobs tore at his heart, but at least he wasn't too late. For a brief second Draco saw Harry's reflection in the mirror, a broken look in his eyes, his hair matted, tears running down from behind broken glasses, and then Harry slammed his fist into the mirror, pounding it again and again, until nothing remained in the wall and blood ran freely from his hands. Just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped again, and Harry pitched forward, collapsing into the pile of glass, and curling into a fetal position, he gave one last sob as a shudder ran through him, before falling silent.

Draco carefully stepped forward, tiptoeing over the broken glass. He knelt next to Harry, who seemed like a very small little boy to him, and reached out to fix his glasses, drawing back the second Harry flinched away. "Harry? Harry, do you know who I am?"

"I promise I'll be a good boy," he whispered. His voice cracked as if it had been abused, like he had screamed so loud that he almost broke it. "I'm sorry I flinched…don't…don't hurt me…please…"

Draco, alarmed, reached out to comfort him, and when his had touched Harry's face, he felt Harry's whole body tense under his hand. Harry's eyes had closed, and he was stroking Harry's cheek, watching as silent tears rolled down his face, over his nose, falling to join the glass on the floor. "I won't ever hurt you Harry. I won't ever hurt you."

"Don't lie…don't lie," for a second, when Harry wrenched away, his eyes flying open, Draco saw that stubborn Gryffindor again, and then it was gone, replaced again by that broken look, one that said he didn't trust anyone, or anything…and most of all, he didn't remember.

"Tell me…who are you?"

"Harry Potter…"

"Can you see?"

"No, I think I broke my glasses…"

"Let me fix them…do your hands hurt?"

"A little…" he whispered quietly.

Draco reached out and took off Harry's glasses, quietly repairing them, and handing them back to the still shaking boy. "Now do you know who I am?"

"No…"

Draco wanted to kill Dursley for whatever he had done, but it was starting to look like Harry wasn't going to remember that either. So Draco did the first thing he thought of, and reached out his hand to take Harry's thin and shattered one, and stroking the broken knuckles whispered quietly. "I'm your brother, and I'm here to take you home. You're safe now. You're safe." He watched as Harry's face slowly changed to understanding, and then confusion.

"Then why don't I remember you?"

"You got hurt Harry. But I'm here and we're going to make it all better. Uncle Sev, Cassie, and me, Draco, we're going to make it all better. I promise."

"He breaks his promises…"

"But I won't. You once promised me, Harry, that even if no one loved me you'd still be here for me. Now, I've got to make sure you're here to keep it. Now, let me see these hands of yours." Harry sat up, and Draco pulled the hand he was holding closer. "Let's run this under water and then get the glass out, and then we'll go home." He watched as Harry nodded shyly, and moved towards the sink, leading Harry, who he left by the shattered mirror as he opened and closed cupboards looking for a hand-towel. He came back to where he had left Harry with a faded pink towel, one that had had little daisies on it, but the threading was bare now. It seemed to take forever to get the shards out of Harry's hands, and before he managed to get Harry out of the Shrieking Shack, he began to wonder how much longer it was going to pick the shards out of Harry's soul.

**Next time: They meet Severus…and some other junk that I can't think of…yet at least…I'll brainstorm tonight…**

**So, R/R, and remember to vote slash/no slash…and…**

**What do you most want to see happen to Vernon?**

**Happy Holidays! **


	17. Bibbety Bobbity Boo

A/N: Hey guys! What's up? Hope life is treating you well. Midterms are finally over, yippee! So, on to the next chapter!

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah, blah, don't own, don't own, blah blah, JKR, blatty…

**Saving Grace**

**Chapter 17**

Harry was sound asleep on the couch, one newly bandaged hand laying across his chest, the other's fingers trailing on the floor, Draco had cleaned him up and was currently waiting for Severus' class to end, so he could talk to him about Harry. It had only taken a few questions to determine Harry didn't remember what happened or very much of what went on before the event, though he seemed to have an inherent distrust of people, but so far he had seemed to trust Draco as much as anyone with amnesia would. Though the second he had heard voices down the hallway he had tried to hide. So here they were, Draco had one arm propped up on the mantle of Snape's fireplace, and one foot on the hearth, staring into the fire that Severus always kept going incase of emergencies. The entrance opened, and he jerked his head up to face Cassandra, who looked thoroughly frustrated with life, and was waving her wand around her head angrily. "If that stupid short man tells me to swish and flick one more time I'll show him swish and flick with the end of my broom!"

"Cassie, shh, Harry's sleeping." Draco pointed to Harry, and Cassie dropped her books, taking in everything about him in a second, including the small amount of drool gathering at the corner of his mouth, but more importantly, the blood soaking through the white bandages. "What happened? Is he okay?"

"I'm not sure…he seems to have amnesia of some sort, and I cleaned up his face…but…I was waiting for Severus to see how bad it was."

"But, what happened?"

"I'm not sure."

"What do you mean you're not sure?"

"I've said it twice Cassie, I'm not sure!"

"No need to PMS about it!"

"I'm not a girl Cassie! And your crude Americanisms…"

"Americanisms? It isn't an Americanism, I'm pretty sure girls here have the same problem as girls in America, and some days I think you do too."

Draco groaned and threw up his hands, marching across the room to the window where he reassumed his position there, of course, there wasn't much to see, since the window was dug into the ground with a window well, but if he tilted his head upwards just right, he could see little pieces of grass sticking over the top, and every once and awhile a free student walking past. Or at least their ankles walking past.

"Point proven," muttered Cassie, dropping the bag she had been carrying by the entryway and proceeding to drop herself into an empty chair. "And you're just as prissy as one too."

Draco was about to turn around with a biting remark, if he could come up with one, but was saved the trouble when the entrance to the rooms opened again, and he immediately accosted the man before he even stepped through. "IdontknowwhatthatdisgustingmandidtohimbutnowhehasamnesiaandMerlinknowswhatelseiswrongwithhimand…"

"Draco, breathe," suggested Cassie. "He hasn't died yet, and as I have proven, memories can be retrieved. Now why don't you and I leave so our good fairy godfather can Bibity Bobbity Boo Harry better, or at least look him over."

"Huh?"

"I believe Cassie is right, it would be best if you took some fresh air and relaxed, Draco, before you have a seizure and I have to look after you as well." Snape seemed strangely calm, and Draco eyed him up before Cassie grabbed his elbow.

"C'mon, lets go…maybe we should go watch Cinderella…oh, that's right Muggle devices don't work…" Her voice faded down the hallway, and Snape sighed turning to the boy on the couch. As calm as he looked on the outside, he wasn't at all calm on the inside. Carefully he approached the couch, and knelt down beside the boy.

"Harry, c'mon, its time to get up." The boy made a noise in the back of his throat, tried to snuggle deeper under the blankets, and Snape reached out to touch him, surprised, with the violence that Harry scrambled backwards, immediately going from asleep to fully alert. Snape reached for the end table, picking up Harry's glasses, and holding them out to the boy who currently looked like a deer caught in headlights. Slowly Harry reached out his hand, snatching the glasses, and balancing them on his nose in one smooth motion. "Do you know who I am?"

Harry's eyes narrowed, and then all of a sudden he launched himself at Snape, barreling into the Potion Master's chest, shaking. It took Snape what seemed like forever to realize that he wasn't shaking, but sobbing, and it seemed like another eternity before his arms folded around the teenager. "Shh…it'll be okay, it'll be okay. I'm so sorry…"

Half an hour later Severus had learned that Harry knew him, but didn't know why, but that he did trust him. When the man finally got him to unlatch from his robes, Harry had calmed enough to submit to a physical examination, and it took Snape no longer than two minutes to confirm the worst. As his insides boiled he convinced Harry to take a sleeping potion, and congratulated himself on his supposed calmness. Dumbledore would thank him for no such thing.

In fact Dumbledore didn't even know why he stormed into the office and slammed the door, but one look at the second year sitting in Dumbledore's office sent the child running, and slamming the door, Snape whirled around. "How dare you…You…You left them here, together, alone?" he hissed.

"Severus," Dumbledore was rather taken aback. "What are you talking about?"

"You left Harry with that…that, scum…and…"

"Severus? What happened…"

"I… never mind! It doesn't really matter anymore! I WANT THAT THAT SON OF A..."

"Severus!"

"I WANT HIM ARRESTED!"

"Severus, what on earth for? What is this…"

"FOR CHILD MOLESTATION! THAT'S WHAT FOR!"

"What?" Dumbledore's eyes turned to ice behind his glasses and he moved to his feet.

"I WANT HIM ARRESTED! I WANT HIM BROUGHT IN BY AURORS AND…AND…" Severus stopped, and dropped into a chair, head in his hands. Dumbledore moved in front of him. "And you know what the worst part is, Albus?" he whispered quietly. "He doesn't remember it, us, anything…"

"What? Severus, nothing?"

"Yes, I know, how is Golden Boy to save us from a Dark Lord he doesn't even know…Albus, I don't really care. All I want is for…never mind. It doesn't matter. What matters right now is Harry."

"Well, lets go find Poppy and…"

"Poppy won't be able to do anything, Albus."

"What are you talking about, she's a perfectly capable mediwitch."

"Not that she can't do anything, but Harry won't let her do anything."

"Maybe the aversion is just to…you know, men."

"I don't think it has anything to do with gender Albus…he inherently trusts or distrusts, and I can't figure out for the life of me why he trusts Draco and I, he's had more bad experiences than good…but he does. He hasn't interacted with Cassandra yet, so I'm not sure how that'll work…Physically he'll heal. I'm sure of that Albus…but, well, mentally…"

"I understand Severus…"

"No! No you don't Albus! It was my job to keep him safe! I promised Lily and James and…"

"You feel like you failed. Just like every time I send you back to Voldemort and you come back here broken I feel like I failed. But I can't watch you every second of the day, I can't prevent you from living, I have to wait to pick you up every time when you fall down…"

"I know what I'm getting into Albus! You know what I'm getting into! We know what to expect, and you and I know that one day I won't come back! I've made my choices, without you!"

"And Harry will make his, without you, you can only be there to pick him up when he falls down."

"And what happens the day he doesn't get up again, Albus, the day that his life and any chance at it is destroyed?"

"Then you will feel like you have failed in the most final and ultimate way, but you will continue on living and go on, if not because you want to so that some part of them will live through you. Every time one of my former students pass away…I can't protect all of them Severus, we're only human."

"So what am I supposed to do, Albus? I can't stop worrying. Should I prepare myself for the day he's no longer here, or perhaps, since I will one day not return from one of the Dark Lord's gatherings, especially after our little rendezvous in Maine, should I prepare him instead? Should I absolve you of any guilt you feel because of choices I've made…He may be waking soon Albus…" And without any further conversation he got up and hurried out the door, slamming it behind him, feeling considerably more confused and drained then when he had first come storming in. Instead of heading for the dungeons as he had led the Headmaster to believe he went to the Room of Requirement, hoping he could find what he needed there.

But even the Room of Requirement was unable to provide him with a way to help Harry, and so he sank into the chair the room provided in front of a hearth, and dropping his head in his hands, for the first time since he had turned five Severus Snape cried.

**Sorry its so short and probably a little confusing.**

**I'll try to fix it and update soon.**

**R/R, please. Thanks guys!**


	18. TheBoyWhoRememberedNothing

A/N: So, guess it's kinda been awhile. I have no excuses for my inability to write…other than the fact that…nope, got nothing. Sorry guys. But sorry probably doesn't cover it. So, this story is probably going to take a little turn for the worse…if I remember correctly we left Harry with absolutely no memories, Snape having attacked Voldemort with a crystal unicorn (kinda giving away what side he's on), and Draco's sister slowly retrieving her memories (who I'm really trying not to make into a Mary Sue, sue me if she sounds like one…). Oh, and there was some crazy talking bird. Well. Here goes nothing.

**Saving Grace**

**Chapter 18**

**(I apologize…again).**

_There were mirrors everywhere, mocking him, he had to break them, destroy them, he caught a glint of green eyes, a flash of dark hair, mocking, mocking, he had to break them, had to had to…His fist lashed out, smashing, smashing, red glistened, mixing with the blurred image of green eyes, shards flying, this should hurt, should hurt, but nothing hurt like him, nothing hurt like that big empty feeling inside…He'd let him, that man…the mirrors were taunting them, he had to break them, had to run…_

A green-eyed boy startled awake, gasping as tears suddenly burned behind his eyes. Knowing he couldn't just blame them for the dark blurriness he reached out automatically for glasses, wondering vaguely why he could remember needing to wear them and couldn't remember anything else. Gazing down to his trembling hands he saw the fresh scars and clean pink lines before he glimpsed at a flash of mirrors and a slow line of red blood dripping to a tiled floor…Shaking his head to clear away the vivid mental picture he stood suddenly, a tangle of blankets falling to the floor with a soft thud that caused the occupant of the other bed in the room to snort softly in his sleep and turn away from the door so that only a halo of gold could be seen. Certain that the other boy wouldn't wake, he slipped across the floor and out the door towards the empty lavatory, where a gentle gold light filtered out to keep the unwary from tripping over a stray item.

Slipping in he stopped to lean against the sink, studying his appearance in the mirror. A shock of black hair, green eyes, some strange scar on his forehead, older than the ones on his hands, and older still than the ones he had discovered littered across his back. "Harry," he whispered softly. That was what they said his name was. "Potter…" The sound of that word slipping from his cracked lips made him wince, as if the name was a curse of some sort, and for a second in the mirror he saw a large lumbering man behind him, felt his beefy fingers close painfully hard on his shoulder and a hiss, "Potter…" Gasping he stumbled backwards against the wall and the image disappeared, though he could still feel his shoulder throbbing, where large fingers had closed over them and squeezed hard, so hard…Shivering he closed his eyes, screwing them shut so hard that it hurt, until the intense feeling of fear faded, replaced with that emptiness that threatened to swallow him whole, that yawning black chasm somewhere deep within him, and he had an undeniable urge to run, as far and as fast as he could before that vacuum sucked him in…

Pushing away from the wall he moved towards the large common room, the embers of an abandoned fire still glowing in the hearth, and dove down onto his stomach, reaching under one of the armchairs and feeling for the slit in the fabric, before his hand closed around what he was looking for. Jeans and a jumper, both taken from Draco's stock, they fit so much better than his own, and a small bag in which his wand, for that's what everyone called those sticks that spurted light and magic, and a few protein bars were stored. Shucking his pajamas he threw on the pilfered clothes and did what he had been working himself up to do for a week, he turned his back on three people that he wasn't sure he could trust anymore (he could hear Draco and Severus' voices, throwing taunts in his head…) and ran.

It took so much more patience than he had expected, to slip past ghosts and unsuspecting students who were wondering the halls, he thought that man with the long white beard had seen him as he slipped behind another suit of armor, but if he did, he said nothing. Just as he was about to make a break for the front door he saw a red-headed boy, who seemed vaguely familiar, and froze, knowing he was caught when the boy turned. "Hey, Harry, mate! Where have you been, 'mione and I have been worried…" He didn't wait to hear what else this kid had to say, seeing the front door he made a break for it, ignoring the shouts and clattering of feet behind him, taking his wand in hand and wishing the front door open, thanking whatever higher powers that existed that it did, and dashing out into the cool night air through the deepest shadows he could find.

Rocks and cold grass crunched beneath his feet, and his lungs burned for oxygen, but still he ran, past the cottage at the edge of the grounds and into the woods, jumping logs and large roots, vaguely thinking he should watch out for spiders, ignoring the pain from branches that flung back and whipped him in the face, and obstacles that popped out and tripped him, until finally he collapsed under and overgrown tree root and huddled against the trunk, sobbing with no idea where he was, what he was doing, or who he was supposed to be. At that moment if an axe murderer jumped out from behind a tree he was positive that he would be forever indebted to them for saving him from his no-named self.

**(Back in the castle)**

Ron only made it to the door before it slammed in his face. Rattling it angrily he found that it still wouldn't budge, and sighing to himself he figured he'd better go find a professor and figure out what the hell was going on. After much fruitless searching, and the valid question of why did all the professors catch you out of bed when you didn't want them to, but when you needed them none were to be found, he finally managed to run into Professor McGonagall. Not before Peeves had gotten a hold of him, of course, which was the reason why he was undeniably sticky.

"Ronald Weasley, what are you doing out of bed after hours…and why are you covered in chocolate syrup?" Not noticing the small shadow that slipped behind a hanging tapestry Ron proceeded on his rant.

"Harry has been missing for a week, and tonight I finally found him but he doesn't even give me a bloody, hey mate, no, instead he makes a break out the front door like a bat out of h…"

"Ronald!"

"Sorry, Professor, anyway, it was like he didn't even recognize me, and I went after him, but he did something to the front door and now it won't open, and I went to go find a professor, and I have no idea where all of you were hiding, because it most certainly wasn't where I could find you, and I finally did find you…but not before Peeves found me and covered me in this…are you sure this is chocolate syrup?"

"Never mind, Mr. Weasley. I'd best go and find the Headmaster, and someone better find Professor Snape…"

"Professor, what exactly is going on?"

"Well," the Transfiguration professor paused, unsure as to whether or not she should explain, but figuring that Harry's friends deserved to know. Besides, they'd just make a nuisance of themselves until they found out anyway. "There was an…incident, oh, about a week or so ago…Harry lost his memory."

Stunned into a shocked silence, neither Ron or the professor heard the tiny squeak of triumph or saw the small rat the rocketed down the hallway and through a crack in the wall.

**(In the dungeons, early morning)**

Draco leaned against the navy blue wall, silently keeping vigil over the scene before him. "I can't believe he…I thought he trusted…" Severus Snape was pacing back and forth. One, two, three, steps to the chair, four, five, six, the hearth, seven, eight… "And no note or anything…"

"He's confused, Severus," soothed Dumbledore. "All that he has to base his life on right now is what we've told him. The most important thing is that we find him and bring him back. He couldn't have gotten very far, he doesn't know how to Apparate and doesn't remember how to fly on a broom or use the Floo. Now, within the hour the Aurors the ministry sent out and some of the staff are going to break up and search the grounds and the Forbidden Forest. If you'd like to join…"

"Of course I'll join Albus."

"May I go, Professor?" Draco pushed himself away from the wall. "Please."

"You may search during your breaks, Mr. Malfoy. But I believe you've already missed enough of your lessons this past week. Now, Cassie?"

She looked up from the patch of carpet she'd been studying intently. She felt bad that Harry had gone missing, and worse that there was really nothing she could do about it, and she felt even worse for Draco and Severus, who both looked like they'd lost the most important thing in the world, or that they'd irreparably broken something that was priceless and one-of-a-kind. Part of her couldn't help but be jealous. How long had she wished that someone would look at her like that? How long had she wished for a real family…well, magic couldn't fix everything. Swallowing down the green monster and screwing the lid tightly on her emotions she answered. "Yes, sir?"

"The health officials sent me an owl this morning. You have an appointment this afternoon. I believe they think they've come up with a way to unObliverate you." His eyes narrowed thoughtfully over his spectacles. "If you still want that, that is."

"Oh, of course. I can't wait."

"Good. Mr. Malfoy, if you could kindly escort your sister to St. Mungos this afternoon." Part of her smiled satisfactorily when she saw Draco's crestfallen look that said he was disappointed that he wouldn't get to search for Harry that afternoon if they hadn't found him already. Part of her was abhorred at that thought, and part of her started to wonder if you could ever stop really being a Malfoy after all.

**(Forbidden Forest)**

The-Boy-Who-Lived, most currently known as, The-Boy-Who-Remembered-Nothing, was still huddled against the tree when dawn broke, though he was shivering against the dewy morning and wishing he had remembered to bring a cloak, and how bitterly cold it could often get in the fall. That thought made him want to laugh, because how was he supposed to remember how cold it was when he couldn't even remember his own name. Looking around hopefully for the axe murderer that would surely put him out of his misery, he began to wonder if he had made a dreadful mistake and should try to find his way back to the castle when a very thin, very pale, hand appeared.

Eyes slowly followed the pale hand to dark robes and the dark robes to a pale face with a slit nose and blood red eyes. Eyes that looked down at him with…compassion, and triumph. "Who are you?"

"Oh, my poor, poor boy," the words slithered through him, caressing the dark empty spot, making his breath hitch as it caught in his throat, and then leaving him empty once again and longing for more. "What have they done to my poor, poor, baby…" Warm inviting voice, the sound of it so soft, so gentle, and as it brushed against him he couldn't help but sigh. "Daddy's here now, to take you away from those bad men…no one will ever hurt my poor baby again…" And though part of him wondered why his father's face looked like it had been beaten in by a crystal unicorn, and part of him wondered why Severus had said his parents were dead, the dark empty part of him reached out and clung to that voice, and his own trembling hand reached out to grasp that bone white one.

With that one touch and undeniable rage flowed through him, and he had a desire to hurt anyone who had ever hurt him, his mind flashed back to the mirror the night before, and the man who he knew, knew without a doubt was responsible for the scars that covered his body, he saw a flash of a cupboard under the stairs, felt the meaty fist, the belt, and so much more, and then the blood dripping slowly from the broken glass, marring the white tile with its small plops…The emptiness was gone, anger and hatred in it's place, and he wrapped himself in it, his back straightening with the strength it leant him. Slowly he lifted his burning green eyes to meet the blood red ones, and, never releasing the thin hand, slowly knelt in the leaves, for the first time noticing the masked figures around them, and leaned his forehead against the taller man's, kissing his finger tips. "Father."

"Rise, Marvolo Riddle, and embrace your father," the seductive voice pulled the boy, now christened Marvolo, to his feet, and his arms wrapped around the thin body, embracing certain evil. And Lord Voldemort, sharing a connection with his new son's mind that the boy no longer remembered had seen the flashes of images, and felt the anger. "For tonight, we go hunting, as father and son, to kill and torture those who have wronged you and exact our revenge. No one hurts my son," thin fingers stroked back jet black hair in gesture that seemed strangely tender and laid chapped lips against the lighting bolt scar. Yet the Death Eaters saw the threat for what it was and knew that whatever Harry Potter had been before he was no more, and that the first Death Eater to cross Marvolo Riddle would suffer the wrath of the Dark Lord. "Now come, let's go home."

That afternoon found Marvolo on a big bed in a large room, decorated in shades of green and black, his knees pulled up to his chin as he tried to deny the angry tears the fogged up his glasses entry into the world. "I can't believe…I mean, they seemed so nice…"

"They betrayed us Marvolo, they betrayed you. I will never forgive myself for trusting Severus Snape…when he kidnapped you, I thought for sure I would never see you again…" Here the Dark Lord paused for dramatic effect, and smiled inwardly as Pot…Marvolo's breath hitched. "And then, giving you to that dirty Muggle to torture you and make you forget…"

Marvolo couldn't shake the feeling of the thick pasty hands holding him down, grinding his face into the floor, he could hear cloth ripping, and then, pain, so much pain…the mirrors were spattered with blood again…He was ripped from the memories, for what else could they be, by two thin and wiry, but strong, arms holding him, rocking him…

"Shh…it's alright to cry, because we'll get them back. We'll get them all back, they'll pay for what they've done to you, to us, won't they my boy?"

The fiery inferno of anger returned, wiping out the sorrow that the feelings of betrayal had left. He felt out that empty spot inside of him, and went there, where there were no thoughts, no memories, just the emptiness and a desire to burn.

**(Saint Mungo's)**

Draco Malfoy knew he should be happy. His sister was most likely going to come out of that room with her memories intact. They'd be able to share childhood memories that had been, up to this point, one-sided. She'd remember all of the magic she'd ever learned, she'd remember, really remember, him. But he didn't want to be here right now. And Draco knew that Cassie knew it. He had seen it, only for a split second, in her eyes, when they had flashed coldly at the mention of Harry's name, and for that second, he saw his father in those eyes, and his insides flinched. It had been gone a second later, that smile back in place as she sweetly suggest he ask the hawk where Harry was, hadn't that worked last time. But it hadn't worked last time, Snape was the one who had known to look in the Shrieking Shack, and he'd already tried that tactic. The hawk had tried to explain he could find Harry, because Harry didn't think he was Harry, and so technically, there was no Harry…Draco just accepted the fact that the hawk couldn't find Harry, rather than argue pointlessly with it. Besides, that would have just wasted precious time that could have been used to find Harry.

Harry, whom he'd hated until a couple months ago. Harry, whom he had always been insanely jealous of, Harry, who had gone with him to find his sister on hair brained trip to the Americas…even though he would gain nothing from it, Harry who selflessly would have jumped in front of a moving train if he thought it would save someone, Harry, who Draco had begun to respect, admire, and love as a brother…and Harry, who he wanted to love so much more, who had forgotten who Draco was before he could tell him, who had been beaten and abused, and never cried out for help, and who he may never see again, because if Harry wanted to be found, he'd be found, and if he wanted to hide forever…then Draco knew he'd never see him again, and that thought alone was enough to nearly break Draco's heart. It was nearly enough to make him wonder if he'd never been a Malfoy at all.

**(Hogwarts)**

Severus Snape vaguely contemplated throwing himself from the Astronomy tower, but figured he'd like to avoid his deceased sister's wrath as long as possible. "I'm sorry, Lily. I sure messed up this time, didn't I? I know I promised to keep him safe…you know I was always horrible with kids! Remember the one time we both went babysitting for that Muggle down the street…and I accidentally turned her children into a bunch of monkeys…you should have known it was a bad idea to have me take care of him…Merlin, I'm sorry Lils, so damn sorry…"

Sorry he had taken time to get to know the kid, sorry that he actually liked Harry, and sorry he had let himself get close to anyone again. Sorry he'd blown his cover with the Dark Lord to save the boys' sorry hides, and sorry he had seen that flash in Cassandra Malfoy's eyes that made him worry for the worst, and made him pray that Draco didn't get hurt if they could help it. She had her memories back, was giddy and on cloud nine, while Draco had become morose, Professor Flitwick had complained that Draco had refused to acknowledge any of the questions put to him, and he had finally ejected the blonde boy from his class. Snape knew better than to seek out the teenager, knew better than to force him to talk, and instead had gone to look at the stars in the empty Astronomy Tower, reminded of younger days where he and Lily had often wished on shooting stars, to finally ask his sister for forgiveness.

And though he felt no answer he could imagine her fiery presence next to him, telling him to stop being such a big baby, suck it up and move on. So, feeling much more refreshed Snape decided to return to the teacher's lounge where perhaps someone else would have an idea on what they should do next. On his way back down he heard a familiar dry sob, and then Cassie's soft voice. "Shh…everything's okay Draco, I'm right here now, and I'll take care of you. I won't leave you ever again, I promise." In the dark Severus' eyes met with Cassie's cold ones, and the knowing smirk that touched her lips as she rubbed circles on her unwary brother's back made he want to shudder and left a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach before he turned away wondering what he was going to do about her.

**(Privet Drive)**

Voldemort surveyed the quiet street, and with any luck, he hoped it would remain so. He had left the Death Eaters behind. Tonight was a mission just for him and his…son. Catching Marvolo's eye he smiled gently, as he had often wished his father would have smiled at him when he was little, and an unfamiliar gentle warmth filled him, something he thought had disappeared sometime after his first date, when he saw the trust and…love, that filled the green eyes. "Come, Marvolo. Tonight we will teach those that have hurt you never to do so again." Voldemort reassuringly squeezed the boy's shoulder, a part of him realizing that it was the first time he had ever reassured someone in his life…at least since he had abandoned Tom.

As one the two wizards stepped through the door, brandishing wands. "What is the meaning of…" A red faced Vernon Dursley appeared, and stuttered off into silence when he saw the red-eyed creature that could only be from hell itself and his nephew, and though he felt satisfaction in the empty green eyes that gazed at him, he could only feeling his death in the red ones which held no forgiveness.

"Ahh…Mr. Dursley, just the man we were looking for. I believe that we have a debt to settle." Carefully the Dark Lord reached out and took Marvolo's scarred wand hand in his own, gently turning it so it pointed at the large meaty man before them. "Remember what we practiced? They made you forget all the spells, but don't worry, you'll learn them all again, you'll learn them all…" His voice was soothing and cast a spell on the boy. "Show me you remember what we practiced, Marvolo, show them that they were wrong."

Reaching deep inside of him for that well of hatred and rage, Marvolo adjusted his grip on the wand, and remember the whispered words, _you have to mean it for it to work_, hissed, "Crucio." And as the man before him struggled, screaming, on the floor by the cupboard under the stairs a terrible tightness Marvolo didn't even know he had released in his chest. If silent tears trailed down his cheeks, Marvolo Riddle took no notice, for all he could hear was his father's voice in his ear.

"That's a good boy, that's right Marvolo. I love you, you make me so proud of you, so proud…" And when Vernon Dursley was finally begging for death he placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "Show him how merciful you are, Marvolo, what a good leader you are, how you provide. Give him what he wants. Kill him. Kill him now."

A/N: Sorry it's so short guys. I'll try to get on top of my inability to update, but, I can't make any promises. Please review. Love ya all. Oh, and I kinda didn't really spell check it...sorry.


	19. Of Traitors and Treason

A/N: So, I'm not sure how this chapter is going to turn out yet, guess we'll have to wait and see….

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Harry Potter Universe…and even if I did, I wouldn't sell them to me…because I don't trust what I'd do with them, I tend to break expensive things…**

**Saving Grace**

**Chapter 19**

Christmas had come and gone with no word from Harry. Of course the Prophet had gotten a hold of his disappearance and was blathering headlines such as the Boy-Who-Chickened-Out, and Gryffindor-Be-Gone. Students were still whispering in the hallway about how they had heard from a friend who heard from their cousin who's boyfriend said that Draco Malfoy had done him in for the Dark Lord, and had just been pretending to switch sides. In fact, a few Slytherins had come to regard the blonde boy as a hero for disposing of the Golden Boy of Hogwarts, despite many protests on Draco's part to his lack of murdering intent. All such protests were promptly ignored as Draco trying to stay out of trouble while under the watchful eyes of the Headmaster, and though, strangely, the Weasel had been backing his story, no one was interested in hearing the truth. In fact the latest story was how Draco had lured him down to the Whomping Willow and proceeded to gut him with a knife (far too bloody in Draco's opinion, but the younger kids seemed to think it possible), and then fed the remains to the thestrals. And even though Draco pointed out he couldn't see the flying horses, no one was inclined to believe that either.

And so the mighty Slytherin had given up and taken to spending his time in the library, where the whispers could be silenced by a glare from Madam Pince, or in Snape's rooms, where he was often joined by his sister. Tonight had him curled up in the armchair, staring blankly into the fire, and wondering if wherever Harry Potter was if he was warm and curled up next to a fire too. "Oh, don't look so dreary," Cassie's voice drifted blithely towards him. His back stiffened slightly in response, preparing for an argument. "Look, I highly doubt that the great Harry Potter would want you to be torturing yourself over the fact that he's missing. It's been months for Pete's sake…"

"Cassie, I don't want to talk about this, and I don't want to fight with you." It had become a persistent argument in the past couple of weeks between the two, and it was driving a very large wedge in their relationship. Where in the beginning Cassie had been kind and comforting he now more often than not saw hardness in her eyes at the mere mention of Harry Potter's name, and he had the uncomfortable feeling that if Harry ever came back he could lose his sister completely.

"Oh, come on, are you a Malfoy or not!" her tone was biting as she whirled in front of his chair, blocking his view of the flames. "It's always Harry this, or Harry that, you only were friends with him for like, what, a whole bloody two months?!"

"Sod off, Cassie!"

"That's right, sod off Cassie, while I mope around because I lost someone, well here's news for you, there are lots of other people around here that care for you! Maybe you should give them the time of day some time too! You look like you've lost your only reason for living, well guess what, suck it up and get over it! Besides, if that kid showed up here tomorrow it isn't like he'd remember anything, like he'd remember you!" He heard the door to the toilet slam hard, and a picture on the wall rattled. Ignoring the burning tears in his eyes he stood stiffly, slipping out the portrait hole and into the dungeon halls.

He couldn't bring himself to stalk, or glide down the halls, instead he wandered, meandered in a vague happenstance way towards the entrance to the Slytherin Common Rooms. It took him almost a full minute to work up to the password, but finally he muttered, "Potter's dead," and slipped in, trying to avoid all the stares and whispers of admiration. Opening his trunk he pulled out the faded photograph of his sister and the worn doll. They swam in his vision as a tear fell slowly, splashing off the picture, and then Draco lifted his wand, and set both of them on fire. The little girl he remembered was dead, and the one left in her place was nothing that Draco wanted to remember.

For the next week Draco pointedly avoided both his sister and Severus Snape's rooms, in which she had taken up residence in an attempt to catch him unawares. Strangely, Severus Snape had also taken a sudden dislike to his rooms, and was seen more often communing with other professors in the lounge than he had been in all the previous years of his employment at Hogwarts. He was, also, on a rare occasion, seen smiling, and though this had more to do with his discontinued service to the Dark Lord than anything else, the majority of the students felt that it had to do with Harry Potter's untimely disappearance. Because, despite all the strange occurrences in the beginning of the year, most memorably Snape chasing Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter into the Great Hall and yelling at them as they cowered under the Headmaster's chair, the general consensus was that Snape had bewitched Harry so that Draco could off him. Snape, not caring what the general populace thought of him, and not wanting the first years to see him as a Mister-Nice-Guy, left the rumors alone. And it didn't matter anyway, because very soon the rumors would disappear as newer and darker ones spread.

It was during breakfast on a day scheduled for a Hogsmede trip that the first rumors began, and they started, as usual, with the Daily Prophet. According to the Prophet the Dark Lord was training an apprentice, someone to succeed him if he should fail in his mission, or perhaps when he got tired of Muggle torturing. Rumors of a young boy, never really seen but only glimpsed at who had a knack for torture and killing. And then soon the rumors multiplied.

_"I heard that it's You-Know-Who's son…"_

_"The Slytherins said that he raped the boy's mother before he disappeared and then cut him from her womb, and while he's been gone he's been raising him in the Dark Arts…He killed the mother, Muggle you know…"_

_"That's ridiculous, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would never touch a Muggle. I heard that You-Know-Who is actually a girl…"_

_"I heard he got his face beat in with a crystal unicorn…"_

_"That's a load of rubbish…"_

Though Draco was glad the rumors of him murdering Harry with a dull knife and a Sugar Quill were over (the latest line of stories he had heard), he couldn't help but be concerned that Harry was out there with no memories, no protection, and this new threat of Voldemort's on the loose.

**(Somewhere Secret…e.g. I have no idea where yet)**

Marvolo Riddle was curled next to his father's knee. He would have been the poster-boy for angelic looks, with his head resting against the robed thigh, and his arms wrapped around his father's leg as one bone-white hand stroked the hair away from his forehead, thumb caressing a lightning shaped scar. Yes, it would have been the perfect family picture, angelic child and all, if the setting hadn't been a large black marbled hall, if they hadn't been on a raised platform, complete with a cold throne, and if the occupant of the throne was not the Dark Lord, who was currently torturing Goyle with the hand that was not tangled in his son's hair. Marvolo rubbed his cheek appreciatively against his father's leg, and closed his eyes, listening to the screams. And then that soft voice, hissing, "Never, never touch my son again, do you understand me?" He raised his red eyes to sweep the expanse of the hall, filled with masked witches and wizards. "Do you all understand me? To harm my son is to attempt to harm me, and that is an act of treachery. I will not be so understanding the next time."

Understanding. His father was so understanding, and patient. He worked with him everyday, re-teaching him forgotten magic, never getting angry or upset when he struggled. And he was so kind, so protective, when he had found out that Goyle had been pushing him around…for some reason Marvolo felt that this was the first time in his life that he had ever truly been safe and loved, and he wasn't willing to give that up for anything, even if he never got his memories back, he would be happy here, where he would never have to crave forbidden love and affection ever again. He curled closer around his father, into the safety that he represented, but Marvolo did not see the smile that he was graced with, the one given to a well prized pet, not exactly loved, but valued and treasured for what it brought with it, for the comments and praise one would get from their nosy neighbors. Voldemort's hand curled tighter in the boy's hair, daring any one of his Death Eaters to defy him and take away what he had claimed as his. Marvolo only sighed, content with the physical affirmation of love that had been lacking, at least that he felt like had been lacking, for so long, and wished he could remember why this felt so sweet.

**(Severus Snape's Rooms: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry)**

Cassandra Malfoy hated Harry Potter. Draco had been hers long before Harry had gotten a hold of him. The stupid kid had only spent two months with _her _brother and now he was sitting there pining after the Boy-Who-Up-And-Wandered-Away, and was retelling tales about how they had turned Harry's relatives into Jack and the Beanstalk. She would have thought that after he disappeared she would have Draco to herself again, but noooooo…All she wanted was someone to be her family. Draco had been that family. She had been gone too long from the wizarding world, her wizarding memories mixed with her Muggle ones, and she was not that little girl anymore. Losing memory and magic had hardened her, and she was willing to do anything to get what she wanted. Cassandra knew what she wanted, and she knew where to get it. Pulling out a quill and parchment, checking to make sure nosy Severus Snape wasn't to be seen she began to write in big curling letters.

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

"Cassie? What are you doing?"

Jumping out of her seat Cassie's arm flayed wildly and knocked the ink across the room, where it successfully overturned itself over her stunned brother's head. The black liquid ran in streams through his blonde hair, one drop dangling from his nose before it fell to the carpeted floor with a quiet 'plunk'. The boy blinked a few times, looking very much like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming eighteen-wheeler before pulling out his wand to clean up the mess. "No, I can clean it up Draco…" And before he could protest whipped out her wand.

"Well, the ink is gone…" he reached a hand up. "And my nose is still in place," he looked downwards, "Nor do I have a tail or…breasts…I think you actually did it right this time." He turned towards the mirror to make sure his hair was still in place, and moaned, closing his eyes and slowly counting to ten, and then twenty. "Thank you, Cassie," he said sweetly. "Hot pink hair and an eyebrow piercing were just what I had wanted for Christmas, but Santa forgot to bring them."

"I'm…sorry…" She was biting her lip in an attempt not to laugh. "I can fix it…"  
"Oh, no!" Draco threw his hands in front of his face protectively. "I'll just wait for it to wear off..." And before she could throw anymore 'helpful' spells in his direction Draco dashed from the room searching out the safety of his Transfiguration class, he was less likely to end up as a girl there.

As Draco took his seat towards the back of the room he ignored the growing stares, until Seamus Finnegan choked on his gum and swallowed it. Coughing violently and eyes bulging he was even more surprised when the Slytherin thumped him firmly on the back, causing the gum to dislodge and land on McGonagall's desk, and giving Seamus the oxygen he needed. "Always wanted to be punk…think I'll get a Mohawk next," Draco whispered conspiratorially, and Dean snickered on the other side of Seamus. "Perhaps a tongue ring," he said thoughtfully as he moved on.

A second later McGonagall appeared, and began magicking notes onto the board, turning to silence the class a large pink blob on her desk caught her eye. "And who would this belong…Mr. Malfoy," she gasped, her hand traveling to her chest. "What have you done to yourself?"

"This?" he asked gesturing to both hair and very large diamond piercing. "It's all the rage in America right now. Cutting edge of fashion."

"What about the breasts you had last week?" Seamus muttered.

"Jealous?" Draco questioned innocently.

Dean snorted and McGonagall huffed. "That is quite enough. Mr. Malfoy, pink is really not your color. Now, as for who's gum this is…"

As Draco tuned out the oncoming lecture he felt a piece of paper pelt him in the back of the head. Un-crumpling the paper ball he glanced down at one word. _Traitor_. Heart racing he turned slowly in his seat to meet Blaise Zabini's smoldering eyes, meeting the glare with his own ice-filled ones. His posture radiated confidence, and though the pink hair somewhat threw off his groove, he was pretty sure Zabini couldn't tell. In his head a vicious mental debate as to whether or not he should tell Snape was raging, but in the back of his mind he knew the older man already had enough on his plate trying to track down leads to Harry and disappearing every other night for some battle or another. No, he could take care of Zabini himself. A second later he was pulled from the staring contest when McGonagall called his name and he proceeded to answer her questions about transfiguring inanimate objects into animate ones, and whether or not one could instill consciousness, personality, and willpower into transfigured beings. And though through the entire class he could feel Zabini's glare like a dagger between his shoulder blades, he knew there was nothing he could do about it, and did his best to ignore the growing heat between them.

Class ended all too soon, and, in a last ditch attempt to pass up on the contempt that Zabini's look had contained, Draco took his time packing and then stopped Professor McGonagall, asking her if it would be conceivable that a witch or wizard's transfigured object, when given life, would contain personality traits of their creator, or perhaps even a soul, and as such, was it inhumane to transfigure them back? Despite his attempt to stall he still ran into Zabini behind a suit of armor two halls down, and was now sporting a black eye to match the makeover his sister gave him. His life really couldn't get much worse.

**(Back to that _Secret Place_)**

Marvolo watched the two Death Eaters with interest. Their pale blonde features were stirring something in the back of mind, something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Trying to push the thought to the front of his mind he only managed to give himself a headache, and gave up his efforts, instead focusing on the conversation at hand, pushing the niggling feeling back into the dark recesses that he associated with his previously unknown life. And though the feelings had been occurring more and more often as of late, he had yet to get more than a flash of color and an overwhelming headache. Though he wanted to share the fact that he was beginning to remember his past life with his father, he had learned quickly that in this house secrecy and lies were the foundation for life, and some uneasy feeling kept him from saying anything. "We want to present our daughter for the Dark Mark."

"Your daughter?" Marvolo could recognize the curiosity in his father's voice, even from where he stood with crossed arms against the stone wall, hidden in the shadows of the flickering torches. "I was unaware you had a daughter…and what of your son? Draco, isn't it?" A warning bell went off in Marvolo's head at the mention of that name, and with it another blinding pain and pounding behind his eyes that obscured both his vision and hearing for an indeterminable amount of time. When the grey finally receded from his world he was met with the sight of his father leaning over a thin feminine arm, inscribing the Dark Mark with the tip of his wand, an honor that Marvolo had no need to receive when he could hear the whisper of his father's voice in his mind. Through his father's bent visage he could vaguely see a cascade of brown hair, the image making him uncomfortable as he unconsciously pressed himself deeper into the stone wall, a sudden feeling of panic overtaking him, making his heart race and throat grow thick as it became suddenly hard to swallow. And then the feeling was gone, swallowed by his father's next words. "Your first task is to bring your brother to me, this time in one week. He will either take my mark or he will be eliminated."

"Yes, my lord," came the soft voice.

Marvolo tuned out the rest of the meeting as it resumed to normaclicy, torture a few Death Eaters, threaten a couple people, torture Wormtail…who made Marvolo distinctly uncomfortable, share next evil plot to take over the world, torture Wormtail, throw a large fit, and, for good measure, torture Wormtail. Bored of the proceedings, and feeling distinctly nauseous from the remnants of the headache, Marvolo slipped out the back of the hall and to his father's study, pulling out the first book his hand came across, _Hogwarts, A History_. It seemed interesting enough, and part of him was jealous of all the normal kids that got to go there, and another part kept recalling a feminine voice, full of exasperation, huffing, "Honestly, don't you two ever read, it's all right here in _Hogwarts, A History_." And another boy protesting, a flash of red hair, and then nothing, all of it was gone. Sighing, Marvolo began to read about the unknown hidden chamber that Salazar Slytherin created, and was so engrossed that he didn't notice at first when his father swept into the room. Lord Voldemort did not take kindly to not being noticed.

"Where did you go?" he hissed, grasping his son's robes and hefting him to his feet, startling the boy out of his reverie.

Green eyes stared defiantly from behind the glasses. "I was bored."

The bone white hand backhanded the teenager, leaving streaks of red where the abnormally long nails cut across his cheek. It garnered no response from the boy except for a small flash of surprise. Just as quickly as he had hit the child he wrapped him in a hug. "Look what you made me do, look what you made me do…" Another voice and an image of a beefy fist echoed in his head, the words morphing, and he saw a bare cupboard and the imprint of stairs above his head, causing him to rip himself from the Dark Lord's grasp, and turn on his heel, quickly leaving the room. As of late his father's physicality had grown worse, and Marvolo's trust of him less…much, much less. Something kept telling him that there was a remarkable wrongness about this entire situation, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was.

Back in the study Lord Voldemort's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

**(Hogwarts: One Week Later)**

History of Magic was a bust. Instead of learning anything pertinent, despite Draco's desperate tries to stay awake, all he managed to learn was not to close his eyes when Blaise was behind him or he'd end up hexed. He managed to escape class before Zabini had managed to finish picking up his books, so he was sure he could avoid another black eye if he made a beeline for Snape's rooms. Draco made it through the portrait hole just as the Potion's Master emerged from his bedroom, stumbling slightly as he pulled his cloak into place and wiped sleep from his dark eyes. He managed to grace the blonde boy with a small smile before disappearing out into the hall, most likely having been called to another fight or some untimely meeting or another. Dinner was in half-an-hour and it appeared that a good portion of the staff table would be missing once again. Not that it mattered, he'd been avoiding the Great Hall out of fear of being cursed for the past week. He was tempted to spill to Snape what had been going on, but his decision not to tell had been reaffirmed when the former Death Eater had appeared at four in the morning covered in mud and collapsed on the couch, asleep before his body even had time to make an impression on the cushions.

Shrugging off his bag and dropping it in the corner Draco headed towards the room Severus had decorated for the boys, pulling clothes out of the dresser and heading for the shower, trying not to look at Harry's empty bed. Turning the water on as hot as he could make it run Draco glanced towards the mirror, wincing as he saw the tinge of pink that still graced his hair, now a light shade of rose instead of the previous blinding color it had been, and the piercing had finally disappeared the day before. Reaching in the cabinet for the magic remover shampoo, hoping this time his hair would come out clean, Draco stepped into the shower, swearing quietly when he nearly burned off the first three layers of his skin and quickly turning the handle so the water came at a more acceptable temperature. Pouring the rest of the bottle of shampoo over his head he scrubbed mercilessly at his hair watching as pink ran off him in rivulets, swirling down the drain. About to reach for the conditioner he lifted his hand, freezing mid-motion at the sound of his sister's voice. "Draco! Draco, hurry up, get out here!"

Concerned, he quickly turned off the water and ripped open the shower curtain, a blast of cold air hitting him immediately as he recklessly toweled off his hair and pulled on slacks one-handed, stumbling out of the bathroom still dripping and shirtless. "Cassie, what? What's wrong?"

She turned, wide-eyed and beckoned him towards the portrait hole. "Hurry, Severus is hurt!" Running a hand through his tangled hair and grabbing his wand from the end table, Draco hurried through the portrait hole, only to see a red flash and then darkness.

"Thanks, Zabini," came Cassie's cold voice. "I can take it from here."

**(Tom Riddle's Headquarters: The Secret Place)**

"Yes, I'll be there!" Marvolo snapped, his chest tightening with fear when he saw the malice in his father's red eyes. "I'm…I'm sorry…" A sudden bolt of pain shot through his scar, something that had been happening more and more often in the past week. Anytime his father became upset with him his head ached…in fact, anytime his father was upset his head ached. And with his growing memories he had a sinking feeling that something was desperately wrong about everything that was going on. _He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named killed your parents…Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived, Hogwarts…_the suspicion that floated across his father's red eyes caused Marvolo to shove the voices down deep and draw himself up to his full height, though he was still considerably shorter than the Dark Lord, defiant eyes staring back.

"You'd best be."

He watched the retreating figure and sighed, dropping down on the black encased bed. Hugging a blood-red pillow to his chest Marvolo curled against the headboard, eyes unfocusing as he thought through the events of the past week. It had become harder and harder to be the Dark Lord's son. It had been so easy at first, months ago, just to take in the love and acceptance, how easy it had been to kill the Muggle man, that familiar man, it had been easy to torture, because in return he saw pride in his father's eyes, and he wasn't quite so empty inside. But too soon that emptiness had returned, sneaking up behind him in the dark and slipping back inside of him before he even knew it was there…and he knew he was missing something, something important. Something about this house was wrong, something about his father was wrong…and something about that new recruit was very, very wrong. Just yesterday his father had asked him to torture Wormtail…and he had been…reluctant. Part of him kept screaming that this wasn't right, it wasn't him. "Marvolo." The word hit the empty air in a quiet hiss, but to his ears the word was empty, meaningless. He may not be Marvolo…but he still had no idea who he was.

Glancing at his watch he hurried to the hall, taking up his place in the shadows against the wall, watching as the Death Eaters filed into their places. Mere seconds later the Dark Lord swept into the room, taking up his place on the stone throne and glaring out at the assembled Death Eaters. "Welcome, my children," Marvolo shuddered as the voice caressed his skin, sending a tendril of power down his spine. "Welcome." He paused and surveyed the crowd. "One of you was given an important mission last week, Cassidy?"

The new recruit, hooded, appeared in the center of the hall, dropping unceremoniously to the floor an unconscious body. Studying the still form Marvolo took in the pale and shirtless back, blue jeans and bare feet, a tangle of blonde hair…with perhaps the merest tinge of pink…falling across the boy's features. As he watched him the boy let out a soft groan and pulled himself to his knees, glancing up, his face immediately changing from confusion to soft horror. The ice-blue eyes stared at the Dark Lord, and a sudden steely resolve filled them and the boy pulled himself to his feet. Marvolo knew him. He had been one of the ones that told him he was Harry…the mirror, the mirror was broken, so much blood, so much blood…and two blue, blue eyes, there to keep him safe…Marvolo shook his head roughly trying to force the image to disappear as he glanced at the scars on his hands.

"Draco Malfoy. I am a kind and loving master, Draco. I am also a forgiving one. Join me now, and I will forgive the fact that you first refused to do so. I can…" He stopped, surprised when a wad of spit landed on his shoe from the Slytherin's mouth. And then a blind rage took over him, causing Marvolo's head to nearly split open as the snake-like man jumped to his feet, wand at the ready. Then, just as suddenly, the rage was gone, an awful stillness filling the air instead. "I applaud your bravery boy, but not your stupidity. Marvolo, come." Out of the shadows he stepped forward, hood drawn forward to hide his features as he stood at his father's side. "I want you to kill him, Marvolo. He is of no use to us now."

Slowly he reached a trembling hand towards his wand…he could hear this boy's laughter in his head, could vaguely see them both running from a sneering man, screaming for their lives and diving under a chair together. He remembered the ocean and…

"Marvolo." The hiss was enough to bring him back to the present and he gripped his wand firmly.

_You have to mean it for it to work._

His hood slipped down and for a second blue eyes met green in startling recognition, until their gaze was cut short with a quietly whispered, "Avadra Kedavra."

_A/N: R/R pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…I always love hearing what you guys have to say._


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